Like Night and Day
by KissPookie28
Summary: Though things aren't going great for their friends, that stupid love triangle, Haley and Nathan are in a good place in their lives. But the return of someone from Haley's past shakes their world.
1. Love, the Good and the Bad

**Ok so I decided to start a new fanfiction, because that's what I do when I hit a writer's block with one of my stories. I'm trying out a One Tree Hill fanfic (obviously) but I don't know the characters as well as I do the Gilmore Girls. So this story might have a few errors in the timeline or I might not be able to write them as well. (Personally I don't think I could ever do Chad MM justice, he deserves to be seen). But if anyone has some constructive criticism about a character feel free to leave it in a review. So now on with the story. I hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter 1- Love, the Good and the Bad**

You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought." Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, _The White Company_

"Ugh!" Haley beat her head against the table.

"Rough morning?" Nathan greeted as he entered their kitchen.

"I have to write a paper on _The Fountainhead. _Do you have any idea how hard it is to write a paper on a book that makes no sense to you?"

"You're talking to the master of writing essays on things that he doesn't understand." Haley chuckled as Nathan moved towards her. "Now the key is to be vague, but not too vague for your thesis." Haley gave him a quizzical expression. "Here try this." Nathan grabbed the laptop and pulled it towards him. As his fingers moved across the keys, a small laugh escaped his lips.

"I'm glad a thesis is so amusing to you," Haley joked as she read what he was typing over his shoulder.

"No it's just that two years ago who would have thought that one day I'd be helping you with homework?"

"Well who would have thought we'd be married?" The typing stopped as Nathan turned to face Haley. Their faces were less than two inches apart.

"And who would have thought that wholesome little tutor girl was so great in bed?" Haley gave a shocked expression and smacked his arm playfully. Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. Their lips connected. Their kisses became increasingly passionate as their hands began to roam one another. "When is this paper due?" Nathan questioned in between kisses.

"Not till tomorrow," Haley breathed as she threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.

"Tutor girl!" Brooke called to Haley as she caught up with her and Nathan outside of school. She looked from Haley to Nathan. "Oh my god you guys could at least be less obvious about it," Brooke said with a hint of disgust.

"Less obvious about what?" Haley asked as she pulled her bag further up on her shoulder.

"You two totally did it. And judging by your expressions it was within the last two hours." Nathan laughed as Haley shook her head. "Could you two at least keep your hands off each other until we get to my homeroom?" Brooke pulled their hands apart and stood between the two of them. The three fell into stride, the two on the outside a bit reluctantly.

"Doesn't Peyton usually walk with you to homeroom?" Nathan asked. Brooke heaved a disgusted sigh.

"We don't speak of the P word," Haley filled in. Nathan gave a typical ignorant guy look.

"Not since I came home from the summer to find her dating Lucas," Brooke growled.

"But I thought you and Lucas broke up,' Nathan stated, puzzled.

"Haley would you like to field this one?" Brooke asked. With a sigh, Haley took over the position of explainer.

"Brooke decided she wanted to try things with Luke again but she found some things that he had kept from when he was dating Peyton. And then she didn't want to date him anymore. But right before she left, he kissed her and she felt the sparks again. So then she decided that when she got back to Tree Hill, she would try things with him again, but…"

"But then I come back to find him dating that slut formerly known as my best friend," Brooke finished.

Nathan shook his head. "I'm so glad I'm married now. I don't have to worry about all that crap." Haley beamed at him.

"I don't know, being married seems to amplify relationship problems. Look at that whole Chris Keller thing," but Brooke was cut off by Haley.

"Brooke, isn't this your homeroom?"

"So it is." She moved from between the couple and grabbed a hand of each of theirs, joining them again. "Well it's been fun tutor couple." With a smile and a wave, she disappeared into the room. The two shook their heads at Brooke's retreating back and then turned to walk down the hall.

So how did you know about the whole Brooke, Luke, Peyton thing?" Nathan asked as he put an arm around his wife.

"Well Brooke's best friend became the enemy and since I'm the backup, I was privy to all the one am rants. Plus I am friends with Lucas and we do occasionally talk."

"He's my brother, I talk to him too. Sometimes even about the triangle." Being observant, Haley picked up on the pointed look Nathan shot her way.

"I know he loves her, he told me." Haley shook her head, remembering that conversation with her best friend.

"Yeah but which her was he talking about?" Nathan looked at Haley.

"I think we all know the answer to that." The two sighed. "I agree, I'm glad we're married.

"So there's less drama?"

"That and it's acceptable for me to do this." Haley pulled Nathan towards her and pressed her lips to his. "Plus it's more acceptable that we're having sex," Haley whispered. Nathan laughed as he took her hand and the two headed to their homeroom.

"What's up BIL?" Haley asked Lucas as she threw her bag down on the table in front of him.

In response, Lucas snapped at her. "I told you not to call me that ridiculous nickname." "Wow, someone's cranky." Haley gave him another look. "Ah girl problems," Haley read

into his sharp attitude. A rough nod from Lucas. "Well that's what happens when you date multiple girls at once, they tend to get angry. Especially when it's those two girls in particular."

This comment seemed to make Lucas defensive. "I am not dating two girls at once. Brooke and I weren't dating when she left."

"You kissed her. That means something to a girl. Granted this girl has a tendency to disprove that, but still. You're an exception to her 'conquer and abandon' concept of dating."

This information seemed to cheer Lucas up a bit. "Really?" he asked. Haley nodded. Lucas looked to Haley with puppy dog eyes. "What should I do Hales?"

"Oh no." Haley's hair shook as her head moved back and forth. "There's no way I'm getting involved in this little foray. I'm Switzerland."

"Please Hales, please." As Haley continued to shake her head, Lucas reached in and began to tickle her. "Please, please," he continued to plead.

"You better get your hands off my wife." Lucas stopped tickling Haley and the two of them looked up at Nathan.

"Oh come on man. I think of Haley like a sister. And you think…" Lucas pointed to Nathan. "…that I would…" his finger indicated himself and Haley. "That's just gross man." Nathan kissed Haley and sat down across from her. Just at that moment, a blonde with a surly expression walked over and sat down across from Lucas.

"Brooke still not talking to you either?" Peyton asked of Lucas who only shook his head in response. Then Peyton looked to Haley with an accusing look.

"Ok I talk to her, but that doesn't mean that I think she's right. I'm Switzerland. Tell her Luke." Lucas grumbled something that could be construed as an agreement.

"Look, Haley, I don't care. It's cool that the two of you are friends. Brooke needs, and I quote, 'at least one friend that won't stab her in the back over some boy.' Sorry Lucas."

"It's ok. I think it's cool that two hot chicks are fighting over me." Nathan raised his hand and Lucas high-fived him. In unison, the two's respective significant others slapped their arms.

"I'm just agreeing with him," Nathan said as he rubbed his arm.

"I don't know what Brooke's getting all up in arms about. You know, it's not like I really did anything to her. You two weren't dating were you?" Peyton asked Lucas who shook his head. "I mean I love Brooke to death, but she really needs to tone this little drama queen act of hers down a bit." At that moment Brooke walked by, shooting death glares at Peyton and Lucas. A smile appeared upon her face and she made a u-turn, plopping down next to Haley.

"Hey bestest buddy."

"Hi," Haley greeted a bit guarded.

"Brooke what are you doing?" Peyton asked.

"Just because my slutty, boyfriend stealing, ex best friend and my equally slutty ex boyfriend are sitting at this table, doesn't mean that I can't sit and chat with my favorite teenage married couple."

"Damn, I sure do get a lot of adjectives for someone who's 'out of your life'. I feel oh so special." Peyton faked enthusiasm.

"Look Peyton…" Brooke seemed to be revving up for a speech, but was cut off by Peyton.

"No you look, Brooke. You told me that you and Lucas were just friends. Nothing more. In fact when I specifically asked you if it bothered you that he still had some of my stuff, you said no. And then you left for the summer. The summer that my entire world seemed to come crashing down, and I had no best friend here to lean on. So Lucas helped me out. And you know what I realized, he's a really great guy." Lucas beamed at this. "That seems to be something you never really grasped what with your taking advantage of him and using him for sex. So okay, I am sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about us. But you know what, you don't own him. He's free to date whoever the hell he wants to!" Brooke's lower lip began to tremble, but she tried to stay strong. Without a word, she stood up and hurried away. Quickly, Lucas stood up and took a step in Brooke's direction.

"Brooke!" Lucas called after her. Peyton shook her head and gave a disbelieving sigh before getting up and walking in the opposite direction of Brooke. "Peyton!" Lucas called, taking a step towards her direction. But neither girl turned around, both hurried away from the table as swiftly as they could. Giving up, Lucas sank back into his seat at the table.

"So still glad two girls are fighting over you?" Haley teased in an attempt to ease the mood. After giving her an exasperated look, Lucas put his head down on his arms. Haley put her arms around him and hugged him.

"Still glad to be married?" Nathan mouthed to her.

"More than ever," she mouthed back.


	2. The Arrival

"No, you are not worthy of the love which I have devoted to you. I knew all along that the prize I had set my life on was not worth the winning; that I was a fool, with fond fancies, too, bartering away my all of truth and ardour against your little feeble remnant of love. I will bargain no more: I withdraw." William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair

"Luke, will you be all right today?" Haley asked for the hundredth time.

"Hales, for the last time I'm a big boy. I can deal with things on my own." Lucas called from his bathroom.

"I know but you seemed pretty bad yesterday, I just didn't know how bad you were this morning." As Haley fiddled with a loose string on Lucas's bedspread, she heard a gargled reply from in the bathroom. "Sorry, didn't catch that." She heard the distinct sound of Lucas spitting into the sink and then rinsing off his toothbrush.

"I said…" Lucas flung open the door and walked into his room. "That I'm doing fine and it was really unnecessary for you to be over here."

"Well…" Haley smiled clearly proud of herself. "I came over to give you fashion advice." Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Ok I know this seems really out of character for me, but at least I have more fashion sense than you. It's like hardwired into my double X-chromosomes or something." In disbelief, Lucas shook his head, but Haley waved him off. "Anyways, I came over to help you pick out the perfect 'keep the girl' outfit." Lucas gave her a look. "Or a 'get a new girl' outfit?" Haley tried.

"Nice try Hales, but I'm not giving you info."

"But I need to know. Come on Luke, we're best friends you can tell me." Pulling out a tried and true method, Haley batted her eyes at Lucas. "Is it Brooke or Peyton?" Lucas walked to his closet and pulled out a shirt.

"I can't tell you…" he gave to shirt a sniff test to see if it was clean, which warranted an 'ew' from Haley, before pulling it over his head.

"Well why can't you tell me?"

"Because to tell you the truth, I'm really not sure!" Haley's eyes widened in shock.

"You don't know?" Lucas shook his head as he roamed around the room collecting his books. "Lucas Scott, that's a lie. You know damn well who. Hell everyone knows."

"So much cursing from such an innocent looking little girl." Lucas chuckled. "And besides if everyone knows why are you asking me?"

"Because I wanted you to admit it once and for all. I wanted you to flat out tell me that you are in love with her." Lucas zipped up his bag.

"Hales, I can't." Lucas looked to Haley with sad eyes.

"Fine!" Haley relented. She threw her bag over her shoulder and moved to the door. "Well come on, we're going to be late for school if we don't leave now."

"Typical tutor girl," Lucas mumbled quietly but not quietly enough. On his way out Haley smacked his shoulder.

Lucas looked around as he threw his bag down at his desk. On is left, Brooke gave an angry sigh.

"Brooke, I just wanted…" Lucas started but at that moment Peyton walked in. Her expression seemed a bit more annoyed today. Lucas knew he had screwed things up yesterday at lunch. He gave a small smile to Peyton who looked from Brooke to Lucas and then walked down the aisle to sit behind him. He didn't turn but he listened as she threw her bag down on the ground next to her and then slammed her book onto the desk with a bit more force than necessary.

"Luke we need to talk," she whispered from behind him. Brooke crossed her arms and settled back in her chair. Lucas looked at Brooke who was clearly uninterested. With another sigh, Lucas turned to face Peyton.

"What is it Peyton?" The shocked look on Peyton's face told Lucas that he had spoken a bit harsher than he intended to.

"Well you just made this a lot easier," Peyton muttered. But she was stopped when the teacher walked into the classroom. As the teacher wrote the assignment and started to drone on, Peyton leaned forward. "We're through," she whispered into Lucas's ear. Lucas looked back once, but Peyton kept her stare cold. He looked as if he might say something to her, but he didn't get the chance.

"Mr. Scott? Mr. Scott?" Evidently, Lucas had been asked a question but he didn't know what it was. With one last look at Peyton, Lucas turned to face front.

"I…I'm sorry, could you repeat the question." The teacher sighed with annoyance.

"In what year did the Gempei Wars begin?" As Lucas was answering, Brooke glanced at Peyton who smiled. Without any hint of acknowledgement, Brooke turned away.

As the class was leaving, Peyton reached the door when her bag broke. "Damn it!" She bent down to collect her books and the various school supplies that had spilt from within. When she reached for her history book a pink high-heel clad foot stepped on it. Confused, Peyton looked up to see a pair of green eyes staring daggers down at her.

"Just because you broke up with Lucas, doesn't mean we're ok," Brooke hissed. She kicked Peyton's book so that it went skidding across the room, before walking out the door. Just as Peyton reached for it someone picked it up and held it out to her. She looked up at the last person she wanted to see.

"I got it thanks." Peyton snatched the book from Lucas and then rushed from the room.

Nathan threw the ball to Lucas. "Still having girl problems?" he called.

"They'd be so much better if people would just let me forget about them," Lucas grumbled.

"Ah, but you can't run from them. Eventually love will catch up to you."

"Just because you got married, doesn't make you an expert on love." Lucas threw the ball back to Nathan.

"I know more about love than you do."

"Says the man who would barely look at his wife for half a year because she tried to follow her dreams."

"Chris Keller was not her dream."

"When are you going to get it through your head, she wasn't following Chris Keller, it just happened that he was there."

"Now I see what you mean about people's talking about your problems making them oh so much worse." Nathan threw the ball back to Lucas a bit more aggressively.

"Tell you what, when you have two girls vying for your affections, then you can give me advice. But until then, stick with your own problems." Lucas playfully punched Nathan's arm.

"Hey, when you two hens are done gabbing I've got a practice going on over here," Whitey called to the two brothers. They both shook their heads as they ran out onto the court, joining their team.

Nathan threw his gym bag down on his couch. "Hey babe," he greeted the girl in the kitchen. As he bent down to give his wife a kiss, she pulled back. "I know coach made us run extra laps today and I am pretty sweaty, but didn't you once tell me that that was when you found me most attractive." He reached out his arms to embrace her and leaned forward to kiss her, but she ducked under his arms.

"Sorry love, as cute as you are I don't usually kiss guys unless I know at least their first name."

"Haha Hales." He looked to his wife, but she just looked back confused. "Ok fine, I'll play along. Fine, I'm Nathan, you're husband."

"I don't have a husband."

"Look I know sometimes you wish you don't, but you do. And you're stuck with me." Nathan crossed his arms.

"No I'm not, because I don't have a husband." Haley mirrored Nathan, by crossing her arms too.

"Come on Hales, what did I do this time? Forget to put the toilet seat down?" Haley made a face. Thinking that this was the reason for her anger, Nathan grabbed her arms. "I'm sorry ok. I'll try better next time. Now will you admit that I'm your husband." In surrender, Haley's hands went up.

"Fine, I give up. You're my husband. Now if you don't mid, I'm going to go get a shower hubby." Nathan shook his head as Haley walked into the bedroom and closed the door. A moment later he heard the water turn on. Exhausted, he plopped himself down on the couch and flipped on the television.

About halfway through an episode of Family Guy, the door to the apartment opened. "Hey, sorry I'm late but I had to…."

"Ah!" Nathan shrieked as Haley entered through the front door.

"Pick up some groceries," Haley finished as she began to unload the bags. "Who knew Captain Crunch could be so menacing?" she joked as she Nathan looked on in horror. "Look I'm putting it away, where it can't hurt you." Haley shook her head and turned to put the box in the cabinet.

"But you…I mean…." Straining his ears, Nathan could make out the faint sound of the water in the shower still running.

"I'm…" Haley prompted. Nathan catapulted himself over the back of the couch and ran to join Haley in the kitchen. He stayed a foot away from her, hesitating. Then he shook his head and reached out a hand to touch her wrist.

"You…." Nathan seemed to have lost the ability to form complete sentences.

"Ok Nathan you're scaring me." Haley pulled her wrist from him and put her hand on his forehead. "You don't feel hot. But you could just be dehydrated." She turned to get him a water bottle from the fridge. Nathan inhaled deeply, thinking that maybe the other Haley had just been a dream.

"Thanks," Nathan murmured as Haley handed him a water bottle. With a twist of the cap the seal broke. Nathan tilted the bottle so that the cool liquid flowed into his mouth. One big crazy dream. Nathan chuckled to himself and opened his mouth, prepared to tell Haley just what he had dreamed when she spoke.

"Did you leave the shower on by any chance?" Haley asked him. Nathan practically choked on the water in his mouth. It wasn't all a dream. But if Haley was in here, then who was in the shower? At that moment the water cut off. Nathan heard the bathroom door open and footsteps padding down the hallway.

"Hey hubby, where do we keep the toothpaste?" A voice quite like Haley's called to him. Then a girl wrapped in a towel appeared at the entrance to the hallway. Nathan's jaw dropped. She looked just like Haley. Nathan looked from his wife, whose expression seemed to be just as shocked as his was, to the new girl. As much as Nathan loved Haley, he really couldn't see the difference in the two.

Haley seemed to compose herself, at least enough to close her mouth and form a question. "What are you doing here?"

"Now is that any way to greet your sister?" the girl called as she smiled at Nathan and moved forwards to hug Haley.


	3. The Other Sister

"Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes." Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan

"Wh…what are you doing here?" stammered Haley as she wrapped her arms around her sister.

"The better question is, who are you?" Nathan asked. The girl pulled back from Haley and gave Nathan a confused look.

"You mean you've never heard of me?" The corners of the girl's mouth turned down. Nathan shook his head. "Lucy you got some splainin to do," the girl said as she turned to Haley.

"Nathan, this is my sister. My twin sister."

"I can see that," Nathan nodded his head at the two identical girls standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Jenna," Haley's sister took the initiative and stuck out her hand.

"Nathan." They shook hands. An awkward silence followed. Nathan seemed unable to wrap his head around the twins standing in front of him and continued to look at one and then the other. Finally, Jenna broke the silence.

"So my little sister got hitched." Jenna smiled. "I can't say I didn't expect. I always was the responsible one."

"Ha, that was a good one Jenna." Haley shook her head.

"Well the older sister is always more responsible and I am older than you," Jenna defended.

"By two minutes!" Nathan looked back and forth between the two.

"Hey it doesn't matter; I came into this world first." The two crossed their arms.

"And haven't stopped holding it over my head since." Suddenly they both smiled and rushed to each other, embracing. "God I missed you."

"Missed you too little sis."

"So is anyone going to tell me why I've never heard of this sister in law before?" Nathan asked the two. They pulled back and chuckled.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Jenna asked of Haley. Haley led Nathan to the couch while her sister took a seat in the armchair across from them.

"So do you want all the sordid details?" Jenna asked Nathan who looked to her Haley.

"I don't think he really needs to hear it all…" Haley started but Jenna cut her off.

"I think it makes for a better story if you leave it all in," Jenna joked. The sisters looked at one another and finally Haley relented.

"Ok here goes." Haley inhaled. "When we were younger it was always clear which one of us was going to turn out to be the…" She searched for a word that would get the point across and not offend her sister. "…rebel. While I learned to read before I was four, it took Jenna until she was close to seven before she could read. During recess, she would push kids into the dirt while I practiced my multiplication skills. At the age of nine, Jenna started drinking and by eleven she was doing drugs." Nathan shot a shocked expression to Jenna who nodded with a smile on her face. "She was getting straight F's. She was suspended and expelled off and on throughout middle school. She started drinking more and abusing the drugs even worse. So…"

"So dear old mom and dad plopped me into rehab somewhere in the desert of Iraq," Jenna cut in. With a roll of Haley's eyes she corrected her sister.

"You were in Arizona."

"Same thing."

"No it's not. One is a war torn country while the other one is a nice pretty sparsely populated little state."

"Anyways, continue with the story Haley."

"To tell you the truth, I don't really know the rest of the story."

"Well then allow me to fill in. After I'd been in rehab for a while I'd already done everything I could do to keep me entertained. I'd slept with all the addicts, put booze in the alkies sodas, steal the psychiatrist's notes on us all and freak people out by knowing things that I shouldn't, stealing…" Haley cut her off.

"Ok we get it Jen, you were bad."

"Anyways, I was so bored that I faked a phone call from mom saying that I would be picking me up. And then I left. Took a little road trip around the country with some guy named Snake."

"You went on a road trip with a guy named Snake?!" Haley asked, shocked.

"Yeah well he could get me drugs and booze for pretty cheap."

"I'm glad rehab was so effective," Haley murmured. This seemed to anger Jenna who turned to her sister.

"Come on Haley, don't do that."

"Don't do what? Don't care about you?" Haley's voice seemed to get louder. Echoing her sister's volume, Jenna retorted.

"No don't do that thing where you act all high and mighty when you know damn well that you're just the same as me." Nathan turned to his wife in surprise.

Haley shook her head in what seemed to be disgust. "I am not the same as you." Her voice was soft yet stern.

Jenna seemed to pick up on this weakness. "Oh yeah, well then when I was fourteen who was it that sat in my bedroom with me lighting up? Was it just my reflection?" Before Haley said anything, she looked to Nathan.

"It was only once. I was going through a bad period. And she was always doing it that I thought I would be fine. I thought it would help me get through things."

"See Haley, we're just alike you and I." Jenna lowered her voice and moved closer to Haley. "And that's why I have to ask you a favor." An eyebrow of Haley's shot up.

"You sit here, tell me that I'm a bad person and then you want to ask me a favor? Do you need money for your booze and drugs is that it?"

"No Haley. I'm coming back to Tree Hill. Hopefully to stay this time. I thought I would be staying with mom and dad, but…"

"There on an RV somewhere." Haley put her hand over her eyes.

"So I need someplace to crash," Jenna finished. Haley's head shook back and forth in disbelief.

"I cannot believe you."

"Come on Haley, you have to let me stay here. We have the same DNA." Haley's hand didn't move. "Please, please, puh leeeeeeeeeese," Jenna begged as she pulled Haley's hand from her face.

"Fine! Fine! But only until you get back on your feet."

"Thank you sis, thank you! You will not regret this. Oh we're going to have so much fun, the three of us living here together." Jenna clapped her hands for joy as she jumped around in a circle. "I'm going to go get my stuff from outside. I kind of threw it in your neighbors bushes. Didn't want you to know I was here. So much fun!" Nathan stared as Jenna bounced out the door and slammed it behind you.

"I'm so sorry," Haley whispered. "I didn't know she was going to be here. And I'm sorry that I didn't ask you before I agreed but she really doesn't have anywhere to go, so…."

"Hey, it's ok. It's your apartment too."

"I know, but I still feel like I should have asked."

"Hey, she's family."

"Well so is Dan, but are we going to let him set up house here." Nathan grimaced.

"Jenna can't be as bad as Dan." At that moment, Jenna walked into the house, bags hanging from everywhere.

"Your husband is a hottie, Hales." She gave Nathan a wink as she walked by. "You just better hope I can restrain myself." With that, she walked into the bedroom. The couple stared at one another.

"Well she's already here. What's the worst that can happen?"

From within the bedroom, Nathan got his answer. "There's only one bed in here. Nathan have you ever had a fantasy about a threesome with twins?" Haley made a pouty face at Nathan. He shook his head with a chuckle and put his arm around his wife, kissing her on the head.


	4. Mistaken Identity

"The complex affair we call the world requires a great variety of people to keep it going" Charles Dudley Warner, _The Golden House._

Morning came too early for Haley. Her dreams were harshly interrupted by the loud blare emitting from the alarm she had so ignorantly set the previous night. With a groan, Haley rolled over and shut it off. She laid her head back on her husband's chest for a moment, her eyes slowly closing. Suddenly, Haley's eyes opened.

"Nathan." She looked to her husband who remained asleep. "Nathan." She shook him a bit.

"What is it Hales?"

"Time to get up."

"Uh huh."

"Come on Nathan. I'll have the cereal out soon and you better be at that table. I swear sometimes I feel more like you mom than your wife." Nathan groaned as Haley tried to sit up. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hard. "Well I hope you don't do that with your mom," Haley joked. "But you still have to get up." She pecked him once and then got off the bed.

Haley left the door to the bedroom open, thinking that Nathan wouldn't be able to sleep if she sang. Haley began to belt out "Halo" as she searched the kitchen for a clean bowl. "I wear a…" she sang but was interrupted,

"Shut up!" a voice from the living room yelled. The cereal box slid from Haley's slackened grasp and dropped to the ground.

"Oh no, you're here," Haley groaned.

"Been here all night, since you kicked me out of your bed." Jenna joined her sister in the kitchen.

"Nathan and I will not be burdened by you because you couldn't get clean…"

"Speaking of the hubby…" Jenna grabbed the cereal box that Haley had just picked up. "…where is he?"

"Still in the bedroom. Nathan!" Jenna winced at the loudness. "He does this every morning," explained Haley.

"So what does he have to get up for?" Jenna poured cereal into a bowl.

"School. You know that thing that's kind of mandatory for minors."

"Good thing I'm not a minor then." Jenna collected her bowl and walked to the living room. She picked up the remote and flipped on the television. Haley stormed into the living room, snatched away the remote, and turned off the television. "Wha d you do that f…r?" Jenna complained over a mouthful of Cheerios.

"Get dressed, you're going to school."

"I thought we just went over this. It's only mandatory for minors. I'm not a minor, therefore I have a choice. And I choose not to." With a quick hand, Jenna took the remote from Haley, turning the TV back on.

"You're living with me, rent free. Therefore, you abide by my rules. And my rules are that while you are under my roof, you go to school."

"Geez, you're like mom."

"That seems to be the consensus this morning," Haley muttered as a very sleepy looking Nathan shuffled in. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he saw Haley and Jenna in the living room.

"Not fair! She's watching cartoons. I'm never allowed to," Nathan whined.

"Ugh!" Haley groaned. She switched the TV off. "Here's the deal, I'm going to go get a shower. By the time I get out I expect both of you to have eaten breakfast, be dressed and ready to go." With that, she walked into the bedroom. "And don't you even think about turning those cartoons back on!" She yelled through the door. Jenna's hand dropped en route to the remote and Nathan's face fell.

"Hey Hales wait up! Wait up!" Lucas held onto his bag as he ran down the hall after his best friend. Finally he caught up to her and he grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. "Did I do something to make you mad at me too?" The girl looked at him confused.

"No."

"Good, because lately it seems like I have a crazy ability to make girls hate me so much they never talk to me."

"And why would that be. I mean you are a total hottie." She smiled up at him.

"You been drinking?" Lucas leaned into his friend.

"No, not since I got here." She smiled again. "See you later cutie." Before she walked away, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Then she turned on her heel, leaving a very confused Lucas behind her.

"Women," he muttered and then walked off to his English class.

"I saw you talking to that traitor," Brooke told the blonde girl who she thought was Haley as she pulled her into the nearest classroom.

"Excuse me?" the blonde responded.

"Lucas, I mean I know you two are best friends, but still. How about some solidarity sister?" The blonde pulled from Brooke's grasp.

"Ok Ashley Judd." Brook cocked her head at the girl's harsh tone. "You don't want me talking to him?"

"Well I didn't really say that, but I do think that it would be best you know for everyone involved if you would talk to him a bit less."

"Tell you what, I'll take your advice when you take mine. Lay off the doughnuts or pretty soon you won't be able to get a boy no matter how rich daddy is." With that, Jenna exited the classroom leaving yet another classmate confused by her behavior. She wasn't two feet out of the classroom when she was stopped again.

"Haley!"

"God not again," she muttered to herself before a blonde appeared before her.

"What?" the girl asked.

"I just mean that at this rate I'll never get to gym, which granted is not exactly the highlight of my life but there are some pretty hot guys there." Jenna seemed to get lost in a fantasy. "So many hot, sweaty guys." A sigh emitted from her.

"Wow, does Nathan know that you feel this way?" Peyton joked.

"Like I care what he thinks."

"Well he is your husband," Peyton pointed out, a bit annoyed.

"Right, well got to go. Nice chatting with you." Jenna waved once and then elbowed her way through the hallway to get to the gym.

Haley settled herself down at a table in the best spot of the courtyard. The sun was shining just right and she was having a good day. After unwrapping her sandwich, Haley lifted it to her mouth, prepared to take a bite but she was stopped.

"You look like hell," Lucas told her as he sat down next to her.

"Well I'm sorry I have two children in the house now and I had to get them both ready for school this morning, I didn't really have time to make myself look all pretty."

"Two children, explains your behavior this morning." Lucas pulled out his sandwich and started to take a bite.

"My behavior? Wh…" but Haley was cut off.

"Tutor girl!" a raspy voice called. Haley looked up to see a very angry Brooke storming across the courtyard as fast as her four inch heels would allow.

"What's that about?" Nathan asked as he sat down on Haley's right side. But Haley didn't get a chance to respond because Brooke had made it to the table, minus her shoes which were in her hands.

"Just what the hell was this morning about?" Brooke spat at Haley.

"I know the weather man said sunshine and then we got rain. It's just madness." Haley laughed.

"Don't make jokes. You know I didn't think you would do something like this. Rachel, yes. Maybe even her," Brooke jabbed a finger at Peyton who had just arrived. "But what you did this morning was way out of character."

"I agree," Peyton chimed in.

"Oh do you, former best friend? Butt out, you weren't even there."

"Yeah but I had my own Haley on crack experience." Peyton gave Brooke a look that was a mix between pleading and fury. Brooke stared right back. But there stare down was interrupted by a chuckle. The two of them turned to look at Nathan who was laughing.

"What?" they asked in unison.

"I think I know who Haley on crack is," Nathan explained. The two looked at him with narrowed eyes. As an explanation, Nathan pointed behind them where a blonde was approaching.

"Oh my god," Brooke gasped.

"Hey sis," Jenna greeted as she sat down at the table. She didn't even seem to notice the three pairs of eyes following her every move.

"My behavior," Haley suddenly came to a realization. "Guys meet my sister, Jenna. Jenna meet Peyton, Lucas, and Brooke." The latter three just stared as Jenna gave a slight wave and then went back to eating her salad.

"Haley she looks just like you," Brooke finally spoke.

"She must be the smart one of the bunch," Jenna mumbled between bites.

"Hey missy, I'm class president," Brooke defended herself.

"Whatever." Jenna's eyes rolled.

"Haley where did she come from and when is she going back?" Brooke asked, not tearing her eyes from Jenna.

"Jenna came from rehab," Haley explained. Lucas's eyes widened.

"I was shocked too," Nathan calmed him. "But if you hear the whole story you can pretty much figure out that she's the anti-Haley." Peyton and Brooke sat down at the table, Brooke as far from Jenna as she could get. Haley recounted the whole story for the bunch with Jenna chiming in occasionally to add her own little quips.

"So that's why I never really told any of you," Haley finished.

"I just can't believe we never heard you say anything about her," Peyton said to Haley.

"The family liked to keep me a secret, they were ashamed of me. Still are actually," Jenna said with a fake smile.

"I can see why," Brooke muttered under her breath.

"Hey I'm done with my cake, but do you want to lick the plate clean?" Jenna retorted.

"Oh that's it." As she pulled her fist back, prepared to punch Brooke stood up.

"Ok time to go." Haley took Jenna's arm and steered her away from the group. "While you're here try to keep your hands off my friends ok?" Haley told her sister as they walked past groups of students.

"If she doesn't provoke me I won't throttle Brooke. But there are no guarantees I'll be able to control myself when it comes to Lucas."

"Excuse me?" Haley stopped walking.

"Oh come on sis, I know you're married but that doesn't mean you lost your eyesight. Lucas is a regulation hottie."

Haley shook her head. "Ok first of all ew. And secondly, don't you even think of getting involved with him. He's juggling two girls as it is, he doesn't need a third. Promise me you won't talk to him."

"Well he…"

"Promise me, the girl who shares your DNA and is currently keeping you sheltered from the elements that you won't talk to Lucas."

"Fine I promise."

"Excellent now get to class." Haley spun her sister in the direction of her class and then walked in the opposite direction to go find Nathan.


	5. Bonding Over the Bonding of Others

"Falseness often lurks beneath fair hair." Danish Proverb

Jenna clicked her pen impatiently. Anatomy was not her favorite subject, she didn't see a point in it. Another strike against anatomy, it was the one class when she couldn't blend in. She couldn't act like she actually knew the people in her class. Here she was at a two person lab table all by herself while students around her chatted with each other about who got the best extensions for homecoming or who scored the final touchdown at the last game. She sighed and bent her head down to doodle on her paper.

"Mind if I sit her," a deep voice asked her. Shocked and happy she looked up. Lucas stared back at her. She gave a quick nod. "Is there something on my face?" Lucas asked, because Jenna couldn't take her eyes off him. She shook her head. "Wow, two minutes with me and you already stopped talking. That's a new record for me. I think I'll go find a new lab partner." He gathered his things and stood up.

"Wait." He turned. "I'm not supposed to talk to you." His eyebrows raised. "Haley's rules."

"Sorry, I'm a little confused." Lucas sat back down. "Why doesn't she want me talking to you?"

"It's more she doesn't want me talking to you."

"And why's that?"

"Because I told her I might not be able to keep my hands off you." Lucas smiled. Most other girls would have been embarrassed to admit that, but Jenna had made eye contact and told him straight out. It reminded him of a certain other girl in his life.

"Well you'll just have to try. Did she tell you I already have two girls in my life?"

"She did." Lucas nodded. Jenna took his hand. "But I'm ok with that. I'm out of rehab, I'm not exactly looking for a relationship. Just a little bit of fun."

"I can't believe in all the years I've known Haley I never knew about you," Lucas told Jenna, not breaking eye contact.

"Ditto." The two stared at one another. Jenna leaned closer to him, prepared to kiss him but he pulled his hand away from her and pulled back.

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, I'm not offended." And by her tone he knew she wasn't. "I know you'll come around." She flashed him a mischievous grin. "So what do you say we figure out what exactly it is that causes those crazy teenage emotions we feel?" Lucas laughed as Jenna opened her book. As odd as it sounded, he actually felt happy that she was going to be his lab partner.

Brooke sat, moodily contemplating her life. Her ambitions and dreams. Her accomplishments and failures. Her relationships with the people around her. At that moment, she heard a laugh. Looking up, she saw Lucas and Haley walking towards her. They didn't seem to see her, too caught up in their conversation. And as Brooke watched their interaction, the way Lucas leaned towards the girl, the way the girl giggled flirtily and touched Lucas's arm, Brooke realized that it wasn't Haley, but Jenna flirting with Lucas. With a sigh, Brooke looked down at her pitiful looking salad and got lost once more in her thoughts.

"I thought the broodiness was Lucas's gig." Brooked looked up, squinting against the sun, to see her ex-best friend. Ignoring the comment, Brooke went back to her salad. "Brooke, why are you doing this?" Peyton sat down beside the brooding brunette. "He's a boy. You're going to flush our relationship down the toilet over a boy?"

"I loved him," Brooke spoke quietly but harshly, looking at Lucas now sitting close to Jenna.

"Me too," Peyton agreed, following Brooke's gaze. "Don't worry, I'm sure it won't last," Peyton assured Brooke.

"They aren't together," Brooke picked up her things and walked away from Peyton.

"I guess the Nile isn't just a river in Egypt." Peyton began to eat her sandwich as she watched Lucas and Jenna flirt with one another.

"Have a fun first day?" Haley asked her sister as she passed a soda to her.

"Not really. Flirted with some guys. Slept through some classes. Oh and Lucas is my lab partner." With that, Jenna turned her back and was almost away from the kitchen when Haley stopped her.

"Wait what? I thought I told you specifically not to talk to him." Haley followed her sister.

"Yeah and I specifically chose to ignore you."  
"Ok that doesn't even make much sense."

"Doesn't have to. The point is that Lucas and I are lab partners. That's all." Haley raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"That's all?" Haley seemed suspicious. Jenna put a hand on both sides of Haley's face.

"That's all." At that moment, the door to the apartment opened.

"Hi babe." Nathan threw his keys down and walked to the two in the living room. He leaned first towards one girl, hesitated, then leaned towards the other girl. Haley raised her hand.

"Your wife," she said. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"I swear, the two of you are going to have to start wearing name tags."

"Or you could just kiss us both," Jenna suggested with a shrug.

"Yeah not going to happen," Haley said with a laugh.

"It was worth a try." Jenna smiled. "So in honor of your letting me stay here, I decided to provide dinner.

"You're cooking?" Haley asked her sister. There was a knock on the door. With a smile, Jenna opened it. On the doorstep stood a delivery boy. Nathan and Haley began to laugh.

"Typical Jenna," Haley spoke of her sister.

"So did you see Haley's sis putting the moves on Lucas this morning?" Peyton joked as she sat down beside Brooke in class.

"Just because I said a couple of sentences to you yesterday does not mean that we're friends again," Brooke spoke coldly.

"Ok look, I'm really sorry about all of this. I know I told you this before but I guess you need to hear it multiple times. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry a million times. But this all started as a fight over a boy, a boy who seems to have moved on from both of us. So why don't we just bury the hatchet?" Brooke looked up at Peyton, a bit hesitantly.

"Only if we can bury it in anti-Haley's head." Peyton smiled, glad to have the old Brooke back.

"I missed you." The two girls hugged.

"Ditto P. Sawyer." Brooke smiled and pulled Peyton closer. Finally they released one another. Brooke looked to Peyton, a sad look on her face. "You promise it's not going to last."

"Do any of his relationships?" Peyton joked, but Brooke didn't laugh. "Too soon? Ok."

"Peyton…" Brooke started but she was cut off when the teacher walked in and began the lesson.

"Talk to you at lunch?" Peyton mouthed. Brooke nodded, and for once in her life she actually paid attention to what the teacher was saying. It beat the hell out of the alternative, thinking about Lucas.

"Luke! Luke!" Haley's hair flew out behind her as she ran up the hallway to catch up to her best friend.

"What is it Hales? You look worried." Lucas noted the creases in her brow and the way she was fidgeting.

"Well no duh I'm worried. You're dating my sister!" She fell into pace with Lucas as he laughed at her.

"Ok first of all, we're not dating. And secondly, if we were why would that be an issue?"

"Well let's see. You and Nathan are brothers and Jenna and I are sisters, it's practically incest."

"Nathan and I are only half brothers."

"Well then it's half incest! And besides, Jenna's not good for you?"

"Why is she in the mob?" Lucas joked.

"I'm serious. She's just out of rehab. She's been through a lot of crap in her life. Something I don't really think you need to be dealing with right now. I mean what with Brooke and Peyton both having a hit out on you."

"So they're the ones in the mob." In frustration, Haley rolled her eyes. She almost missed it, but in the last second she saw.

"Oh my gosh."

"What?" Haley pointed in the direction of the gym.

"Peyton and Brooke are walking together. And laughing." Haley rubbed her eyes as if it was a mirage, but when she removed her hands they were still there.

"Well isn't it just funny the way life works out. Just as soon as I find a new girl to date, my two exes make up with one another, leaving me guilt free. See you later Hales." Lucas began to walk towards his next class.

"I thought the two of you weren't dating!" Haley called after him. He turned around and smiled at her, walking backwards.

"Not yet anyways." With a wave, he turned into his classroom. Haley gave an exasperated sigh and then headed in the direction of Brooke and Peyton, thinking that at least something was right in the universe.

"Hey broody!" Jenna greeted Lucas as he entered the classroom. Lucas winced at the name. "What you don't like it?"

"No, it's just that my ex-girlfriend used to call me that."

"Brooke or Peyton?" An eyebrow raised, Lucas looked to Jenna shocked that she knew who his ex-girlfriends were. "Haley told me everything. I pretty much know the story of your life."

"Oh you do?"

"Yeah, I know that you've played basketball since you could walk practically, mostly on the river court. You were raised by your uncle and your mom and had to deal with ridicule at being the bastard child. Your uncle Keith got you on the Ravens. Haley tutored Nathan so he would leave you alone. You were skeptical about their relationship at first but then grew to know Nathan. You liked Peyton, then Brooke, then Peyton again, then Brooke, then Peyton again. I think that's the correct number of cycles. And now they both hate your guts, which makes you depressed. Did I leave anything out?" Jenna smiled.

"Not that I can think of."

"Didn't think so. But you know what I say, the best way to get over somebody is to move on." This warranted another eyebrow raise from Lucas. "Tell you what, Haley told me about this club Tric. I'll be there tonight at eight. If you agree with my sentiment about moving on, then you'll be there too. But if you'd much rather mope around wishing that one of them will take you back then I'll have fun on my own tonight. Deal?" She extended her hand. A bit warily, Lucas took it and shook it.

"Deal."

Brooke wasn't sure what had just gone on. As she was walking by the anatomy class she saw Lucas and anti-Haley talking. She seemed to making some elaborate speech to him and then they shook hands. Wishing she knew more, Brooke walked to her class as the bell rang.


	6. An Addition to the Triangle

"I shall take the heart," returned the Tin Woodman; "for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world." L. Frank Baum, _The Wonderful Wizard of Oz_

"I've got some gossip," Brooke announced as she sat down by Peyton.

"You found something new out within the past hour since I last saw you?" With a grin on her face, Brooke nodded. "Well you are talented."

"I know. But to tell you the truth it isn't really the good kind of gossip."

"Now you've got me curious. Spill."

"I kind of saw Lucas and anti Haley talking and then they shook hands." Peyton chuckled a bit.

"You saw Lucas shake hands with Haley's sister and that counts as gossip? Wow you mean you couldn't find a new couple that broke up? A cat fight? Someone on drugs?"

"Only that kid that sits next to me in third period and picks his nose, making animals out of his boogers." She gave a shudder. "But you aren't seeing the point! Lucas made a deal with the devil." Peyton shook her head as she looked down at her paper.

"Brooke I'm glad we're friends again, but that doesn't make your craziness any less sane. So how about we just avoid talking about Lucas and/or Haley's sister."

"Bu…" Peyton held up a hand to cut her off.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Hmph!" Brooke crossed her arms and sank back in her seat, pouting a bit.

"Hey guys what's up?" Haley asked as Brooke and Peyton joined her in the hallway.

"Not much, your sister's a whore," Brooke responded with little enthusiasm.

"What she do now?" Haley asked as she shut her locker.

"She shook hands with Lucas," Peyton answered. Haley looked at Brooke, confused.

"Ok Brooke I know that this might be a new concept for you, but believe it or not when someone shakes hands with someone else, it doesn't automatically imply the two are going to sleep together."

Brooke looked to Haley in incredulity. "Low blow Tutor Girl." Haley held up her hands in defense.

"I'm sorry. I know she was a bit bitchy with you when she first got here, but you have to admit that you haven't been the warmest of people towards her. And now I think you might be a bit jealous of her because Lucas seems to be giving her some attention. Which by the way I will talk to the both of them about. Hell will freeze over before I let the two of them date. Now if the two of you don't mind, I need to get to class." Haley waved to the two and then walked off in the direction of her next class.

"Is it just me or has anti Haley rubbed off on true Haley and made her seem a bit more anti Haley?" Brooke looked at Peyton who laughed.

"I have no idea what you just said."

The music blared. Peyton smiled at the crowds of people around her. She was damn proud of herself for making this happen. A club where all of her friends could hang out. Well all of her friends plus Haley's sister. Jenna was sitting at the bar staring down her third glass of what Peyton hoped was not alcohol. If Jenna could be that bitchy sober, Peyton would hate to see what would happen if that girl got some Vodka in her. With a sigh, Peyton turned around and walked towards the DJ.

Over at the bar Jenna swirled the straw around in her glass, wondering to herself what kind of club didn't serve alcohol to minors. Oh well her counselors at rehab would be proud. She took another sip of her Coke and looked to her left. There, pushing through the masses of people, was her reason for being there tonight. Lucas joined her at the bar.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said with a coy smile.

"I took your advice. The best way to get over the two of them is to…be with someone else." His face as he said these last word was a bit strained. Jenna put her hand over her heart.

"Well Lucas Scott you sure know how to flatter a girl."

"I…I didn't mean…."

"Relax, Lucas, I told you I was just looking for something casual." She looked at him for a bit longer as he ordered a soda. He turned to her and caught her staring.

"What?"

"Well I was just thinking, if there are two girls after you, you must be a damn good kisser." Lucas chortled. "Being out here with me is going to help you get over them, but it's not going to completely get them off your mind."

"And what is, kissing you?" Jenna nodded. With a grin, she pulled her lip gloss out of her purse, smoothed some on her lips and then closed her eyes, leaning forward.

"Go ahead, lay one on me." At first Lucas seemed hesitant, but as he glanced around nervously he caught sight of Peyton laughing with a few kids from their school. As the images of their relationship came flooding back, Lucas leaned in to Jenna. Their lips made contact and surprisingly Lucas felt himself kissing her harder. At the same moment, Peyton was finishing her conversation with a couple of her classmates and happened to look over to the bar. She couldn't believe her eyes. Sitting at the bar, full on making out were Haley's sister and Lucas.

"Peyton…Peyton…" Peyton was called back to the conversation.

"Sorry I didn't catch that," she tried to make her voice sound like she hadn't just seen what she had seen. And even as the boy repeated what he had said her eyes drifted back to the bar. The two had pulled apart and Haley's sister was now leading Lucas by the hand out of the club. Peyton turned back to the conversation just in time to miss Lucas's glance back at her.

The next morning Brooke caught up to Peyton outside of the school. "Hey P. Sawyer, what's up?" she noted her friends moodiness.

"Nothing." Peyton shrugged her off.

"Not going to work. There's something up and you're going to sha…" But Brooke stopped because right in front of her were Lucas and Jenna, kissing.

"Well that," Peyton said bitterly. "I saw the two of them together at Tric last night."

"Oh my god," Brooke shook her head. "It's like a train wreck. I just can't look away." At that moment, Haley joined them.

"What's going on?" she asked them. In unison, the two pointed to the couple.

"Does the floor feel kinda cold to you?" Brooke asked with an air of snootiness. "Oh yeah it's because hell just froze over."

"Don't worry, I'll fix this." Haley ran up the hall, yanking Jenna's hand from Lucas's. "We need to talk, she commanded her sister." Lucas looked at his crazed best friend. "Lucas, get to class." He looked to Jenna.

"I'll see you later," Jenna told him. With a last look at the two, Lucas walked off towards his class.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Haley demanded of her sister.

"I was kissing my new boy toy."

"I thought I told you to stay away from him."

"Look Hales, he makes me happy. And I make him happy. Shouldn't that make up for whatever vendetta it is you have against this relationship?" Haley looked into her sister's eyes and saw the pain and the hope.

"I'm not going to lie and say that I'm happy about this relationship, because to tell you the truth it kind of disgusts me. But I promise I won't try to break you up or anything like that." Jenna's face broke into a grin. "But don't forget that I don't support this relationship."

"Thanks babe, hey I got to run if I want to get another snogging in with my boyfriend before class, but I'll see you later." Haley shook her head at her sister's retreating back.

"Miss James, I'm going to have to suspend you," the principal set her file back on the desk as Jenna looked on in disbelief.

"Just like that? It was a harmless prank."

"You stapled another students hair to the bulletin board."

"She was asking for it, she called me…"

"I didn't ask what she did. You should not have retaliated as you did. You're suspended for four days." Jenna sighed.

"But on the plus side, you can use all of that time to study."

"I'm sorry?" Jenna was confused. Another large file came from within the principal's desk.

"Out of your five academic classes you are failing three. On the plus side you have an A in gym." Jenna looked down at her grades.

"So if I don't pass these classes what happens?"

"You repeat your junior year." Her head fell onto her arms. "I'm really surprised. When I heard you were failing I pulled your sister's file. I compared the two…"

"There was your first mistake," Jenna mumbled.

"Your sister seems to have intense dedication and is very bright."

"We're identical twins. That means we're from the same egg. There were a limited number of smart genes in that egg and Haley seems to have hogged them all. What's a girl to do?"

"A girl, Miss James, is to get a tutor if she wants to avoid repeating her junior year. You may go now."

"Wha…ugh!" Jenna grabbed her bag and stormed from the office.

As Jenna opened the door, a boy joined her. "So what's going on?" Lucas asked her.

"The principal's a hag, that's what's going on," Jenna huffed and walked away from him.

"Hey, hey." Lucas grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "Are you ok?"

"I'm failing three classes and I'm suspended."

"Well that's no good." He put his hand on one side of her face.

"Sometimes I think it would have been better if I never left rehab."

"Don't say that," Lucas whispered. "Because if you never left then we never would have met." He leaned in and kissed her. After a bit, she pulled back.

"Ok I gotta go. I'm going to talk to Haley and see if she'll tutor me. Call me later?" Lucas nodded. She pecked him on the lips and then left him standing in the hall.

"Hey favorite sister," Jenna greeted Haley as she entered the apartment.

"What do you want?" Haley asked, throwing her bag down and sitting next to Jenna.

"Whatever do you mean you beautiful you?"

"I mean you're being sweet to me, there must be motives behind it."

"Haley, why must there be motives. You mean you don't believe that I'm a sweet person?"

"Let's see about three weeks ago I told you not to get involved with a boy that you just so happened to be making out with a week later and have been ever since despite my friends and I's utter disgust. And ever since you got here you have done nothing but tear people down whether they're my friend or people that just looked at you wrong. So no Jenna I don't think that you are a sweet person, therefore this sweet act must be for a reason. So what do you want?"

"I need tutoring." Haley sighed.

"Did you ever think of maybe opening a book?"

"Haley if you don't help me, I fail and I have to repeat junior year." Another sigh from Haley.

"Fine, but on one condition. You end things with Lucas." Jenna looked to her sister and Haley stared right back.

Peyton was setting up the sound system at Tric, they were having an open mic night. As she instructed one man where to put the speakers, she glanced to the corner of the room. In a booth in the back sat a boy who she thought to be about her age. All she could see of him was his shaggy hair cut and his sneakers. But she did see his guitar, so she walked towards him. "Hey are you here for open mic night?" Peyton asked the boy. The moment he turned, Peyton's heart beat faster. "Jake," she whispered, shocked.


	7. One Relationship Rekindled, Another Dead

"There is no wisdom like frankness." Benjamin Disraeli, _Sybil_

"Ok so I've got some _real_ gossip," Peyton said to Brooke. Brooke switched the phone to her other ear and then cradled it between her shoulder and her head as she redid her toe nail polish.

Brooke was angry that Peyton was still harping on that. "I still can't believe deals with the devil aren't gossip."

"Brooke this is actually kind of serious."

"Ok shoot."

"Jake's back." Peyton sighed.

"Jake, like the love of your life Jake?"

"Yup."

"Like the Jake who could save us from this crazy love triangle with Lucas, Jake?"

"I guess." Peyton filled in a part of her new drawing.

"Did you guys make out?" Brooke doubted it, but would be so proud of her best friend if they had.

"I met him at Tric. There were tons of other people around us, including Lucas's mom and our school principal."

"So did you guys make out?" Brooke repeated, ignoring everything that Peyton had said before. She seemed overly excited about the return of Jake.

"No, but we did rip off our clothes at the sight of one another and hot sex right in front of everyone at the club."

"Hmm, gives open mic night a whole new meaning." Brooke put a bit more polish on her big toe.

"Brooke!" Peyton called her friend back to reality.

"Sorry, ok what really happened?" She capped the polish and leaned back on her pillow, prepared for some talk of drama.

"Well we talked. I asked him if he was back for good and he said probably. And then I asked about Jenny, who's doing great. And then he went on stage and performed. Afterwards he said he needed to get home and that he'd see me at school on Monday."

"That's it?"

"Yeah." Peyton didn't seem really disappointed.

"Ok let me get this straight. The two of you play house for a bit and fall in love with each other. You help him kidnap his own kid and escape his crazy ex and when he finally returns all you talk about is his kid?"

"Uh huh," Peyton seemed to sour.

"No proclamations of love?"

"No."

"No touchy feely things?"

"No."

"Hollywood is such a liar!"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean you see all these movies about couples that are forced apart due to some terrible reason, I think Nicki constitutes as terrible. And then one returns and immediately they realize that they are meant to be together and they fall back into the routine of the two together, like they were never apart. And then we all know that they were meant to be together all along."

"So Jake and I aren't meant to be together?" Peyton interpreted. "Gee thanks." Her pencil pressed harder onto the paper.

"No babe, that's not what I meant." Brooke put her hand to her forehead. "I just think that you need to talk to him. See how he feels."

"I know."

"Ok now I know you're going to be all mopey, so I'm going to hang up. I'll see you tomorrow. We'll go shopping."

"Bye." Peyton hung up the phone and looked at her drawing. With a tentative smile, she hung it up on her wall. She stood back to admire her work and read her caption. 'I Thought these Feelings were Over.'

Jenna inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the pretzel cart nearby. She remembered the times when she was younger and her parents would take Haley and her to the mall even though they thought it was far too commercial. Thoughts of her sister made her think of a certain promise she had made. She looked at the boy to her side, feeling the warmth of his hand around hers. He smiled at her with his, boy in love, smile. Jenna almost felt bad for what she was going to have to do. She kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked her.

"No reason. Let's go get a pretzel." She dragged Lucas to the cart, thinking that she could put off the dumping for another day or two.

"Something on your mind?" Lucas asked her.

"Nothing but you gorgeous." Jenna leaned in and kissed him again.

"Have I told you how happy I am to have you lately?" Lucas asked her as he tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Nope."

"Well I am, you know that?" He smiled at her.

"Yeah I do." She kissed him again.

"Hey P. Sawyer!" Brooke greeted Peyton cheerily on Monday morning. "You talked to lover boy yet?"

"No," Peyton responded grouchily.

"Well you need to."

"Oh I need to? It's not just for Brooke's benefit that I talk to him?" Peyton twisted the lock of her locker.

"Whatever do you mean Peyton dearest?" Brooke smiled innocently.

"I mean, that if I get back together with Jake it leaves Lucas up for grabs."

"Lucas is already up for grabs," Brooke responded. "If anti Haley will get her claws out of him."

"Never mind." Peyton shook her head. "I'll talk to him, okay?"

"Well now's your opportunity." Brooke grabbed Peyton's arm and swung her out into the hallway where she collided with Jake.

"Ouch. Sorry." Jake steadied her. "Sorry about that, I have a psychotic best friend." Brooke looked in the opposite direction as if she wasn't listening to every word they were saying.

"What's she doing this time?"

"She thinks we need to talk."

"About?" The two began to walk.

"About us Jake. About the way we left things."

"And do you agree with her?" Peyton was jostled a bit by her passing classmates.

"I'm afraid to say yes."

"And why's that?"

"Because I might not like what I hear." Peyton looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"Peyton look at me," Jake put his hand under her chin and lifted her face. "When I left, my feelings for you didn't change." Peyton smiled.

"Ditto." Jake smiled at Peyton with a laugh.

"Ditto? Really?"

"Let's just get to class." Peyton elbowed Jake and then led him by the hand down the hall. Brooke smiled, proud of her friend but at the same time pissed that she had left Brooke standing there by herself. What she wouldn't give to have the kind of relationship Peyton had with Jake. Lonely as ever, Brooke walked to class.

Brooke hadn't talked to Peyton since that morning. In fact Brooke hadn't really talked to anyone in a while. Haley had Nathan. Peyton now had Jake. Even anti-Haley had someone, Lucas. Brooke's Lucas. Brooke shook her head. He wasn't hers. Not anymore. Now he was anti-…

"Anyone sitting here?" Brooke looked up to see the girl she had just been thinking about. Anti-Haley stood beside Brooke in all her slutty glory, she was indicating the chair beside Brooke at the table.

"Yeah," Brooke replied irritably.

"Too bad. " Jenna sat down.

"Bye," Brooke said cattily and began to stand.

"I'm going to dump Lucas," Jenna announced, making Brooke stop and look back.

"Good for you," Brooke said with a snarl.

"So you two can get back together," Jenna finished her thought as she opened her chips.

"What?" Brooke stopped. "Ok first of all, that would ruin everything with Peyton and secondly, what makes you think that I still want him?"

Jenna chuckled a bit as she chomped down on a chip. "Ok first of all Blondie's in love with the dude with the baby, I saw them together at that club."

"Jake?"

"Is that his name?" Jenna seemed uninterested. "Personally," she started around a mouthful of chips. "I think she could do much better. But from what I've learned about her she likes to go against the norm. So why not date a teen dad? To answer your second question, you and Luke are in love with each other, of course you're getting back together."

"How do you know he loves me?" Brooke tried to keep the lift out of her voice.

"A girl knows these things. You two belong together."

"But you're dating him, why would you want the two of us together?" Brooke was dubious.

"To tell you the truth, Lucas was just something to do to keep me from getting bored." Jenna poured the remainder of her chip bag into her mouth and stood up. She leaned into Brooke and whispered. "Between you and me, I'm after a different Scott brother." Then she gave a wink and walked away the speechless brunette


	8. Trust

"You remember how he would trust strangers, and if they fooled him he would say, 'It's better to be fooled than to be suspicious." E.M Forster, _Howard's End_

Brooke sat at the table stunned, unaware of what was going on around her. Has she really just heard what she thought she just heard? Brooke gave a hollow laugh. Of course she had just heard that. This was anti- Haley she was talking about, all she did was ruin lives. But what could Brooke do? With basketball skills even Whitey might have been impressed by, Brooke tossed her trash over a bush and into the nearest trash can. She then stood up and hurried off to find Haley.

"So if you add the matrices you will end up with one of the same dimensions." Haley smiled at the sophomore girl in front of her, hoping that she understood.

"So I just…" But the girl stopped as the door to the tutor center banged open.

"Tutor girl, I thought I'd find you here."

"Oh my gosh, you're Brooke Davis," the sophomore squealed. "You are like my all time role model." Haley chuckled at the brunette who smiled as the younger girl stroked her ego.

"Well you know…" but then Brooke seemed to remember why she came. "Tutor girl we need to talk." Her heels clacked on the linoleum floor as she strode over to Haley. "Can I help you?" she asked of the sophomore who was staring at Brooke, a look of total adoration plastered across her face.

"I was just teaching Anna about matrices," Haley explained calmly.

"They were confusing movies and they made far too many of them," Brooke told the sophomore. Haley laughed as Brooked whipped around to face her. "Now can we talk?"

"Tell you what, Anna, we'll pick this up tomorrow." The girl nodded and, without ever tearing her eyes from Brooke, gathered her things and exited the center. "She knows about as much about matrices as her role model," Haley joked. "Just what we need, two Brookes."

"Hey I came here to help you." Haley stood up and walked to the filing cabinets.

"Help me?"

"Well it's kind of a long story."

"Well I kind of have time since you just kicked out my student." Haley flicked through a few exams to find a place for the one she had out. Brooke sat at the table and began.

"So I was sitting at the lunch table, eating my salad because I heard a couple of the girls saying I'd gained a couple of pounds. So in addition to making them cry during cheer practice, I've decided to go on a diet. Eating healthier you know…"

"Ok!" Haley cut off as she slammed the drawer. "I don't need the _War and Peace _sized version just the basics."

"Ok so basically I was sitting at the lunch table minding my own business when anti- Haley came and sat next to me."

"Anti- Haley?"

"Your sister," Brooke explained.

"I kind of like it," Haley said with a smile as she sat down next to Brooke.

"So anyways, she sat next to me and then told me she was dumping Lucas…"

"Thank goodness."

"So that I could have him."

"Well that was nice of her." Haley smiled.

"You might want to hold your praises until the end of the story. So then we talked about how Peyton and Jake are in love and Lucas and I are."

"You love him?" Haley said with a grin.

"Yes but you're missing the point of the story. The point is…"

"To tell you the truth, I've known he loves you all along." Brooke stopped trying to get back on track.

"He loves me?" Haley nodded. Brooke smiles and got lost in her thoughts.

"I'm so happy your little love triangle is finally over." Haley stood, gave a shell shocked Brooke a hug and then walked from the tutor center.

Brooke finally came back to reality only to see Haley had gone. Quickly, she ran out the door. "Haley. Haley wait!" Haley stopped mid stride to allow Brooke the chance to catch up.

"There's more?"

"Your sister's going to try to steal Nathan." Haley looked at Brooke, no expression on her face. "Hey it's ok, let it out." And Haley did, but not the emotion Brooke was anticipating. A huge snicker emitted from Haley.

"My sister and my husband? Oh yeah. She was probably just screwing with you Brooke."

"No she was dead serious." Haley shook her head.

"Jenna took some acting classes when she was younger. I'm glad to see they're finally paying off."

"She was not acting!" Brooke put a hand on her hip.

"Look I appreciate the concern but she's not after my husband. I'll let you in on a little secret. Jenna may be the tumor on the ass of my existence and I may be hers but we're sisters and we love each other. And because we're sisters we follow the rules of sisterhood, one of which is no husband stealing. So forget about it Brooke. I'll talk to her and tell her to stop screwing with you."

"But I…." Brooke tried to explain.

"I got to go, Nathan thought I'd be tutoring but since I'm not I think I'll surprise him with dinner." Haley waved and was gone.

"With a side of your hussy of a sister," Brooke muttered under her breath as she walked to her car.

As soon as he walked into the apartment Nathan could smell the food. He looked to the kitchen where Haley was standing in an apron, stirring a pot. "Hey beautiful," he greeted her. A smile in response. "What's all this?"  
"Well it's been a while since we've done anything just the two of us, so I made Jenna agree to scat for a while and I got to work. Taste this." She lifted the spoon to Nathan's lips. He made a face. "Too hot?" she asked.

"No it's not that. It's…." Nathan searched for a word that wouldn't offend Haley.

"Bad," Haley supplied. Nathan nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry. I was trying to do something nice. And I can cook basic things, but I thought I'd try something fancier." Haley threw the spoon down.

"Hey, hey it's ok." Nathan took her hands in his. "I appreciate the effort, but you know I would have just been happy to eat a burger with you. You're all I need." He kissed her forehead.

"Ok tell you what, I'll clean this up and then we can go get something to eat." She moved to pick up a pan, but Nathan had already scooped it up.

"It'll go faster if I help." Then the two stood side by side washing the dishes, their hands lingering over one another longer than necessary when a bowl was passed.

When the dishes were done Haley took off her apron, getting ready to leave. "How about we just eat here," Nathan suggested.

"Well for one we don't have any food." Nathan opened the fridge and then the freezer. He reached inside and pulled out a gallon of ice cream.

"And we have marshmallows and popcorn in the cabinet."

"Nathan, that's not food, it's junk."

"So why can't we indulge ourselves?" Nathan pulled out a couple of spoons.

"Because, if I do I will gain tons of weight and end up having to be lubed out of this room." Nathan had taken the junk food into the living room. He was searching for a movie.

"And you would still be breath takingly beautiful." He put the movie in and walked to Haley. "And I would still love you." He kissed her.

"Always and forever," she whispered. "Ok let's do it." And the two settled down, curled up under a blanket to watch the movie, content in each other's arms.

A ways away, another couple was curling up together. Jake kissed Peyton's forehead. She smiled up at him and the two went back to watching the movie. Suddenly there was a wail from the next room. Jake picked up the remote and paused the movie for the twelfth time in the past hour.

"I'm sorry about this Peyton, she just seems to be fussy tonight." Jake ran a hand through his hair.

"Hey it's no problem. Let me get her." Peyton threw off the blanket and went to the crying baby. "Hey sweetie," she crooned as she bent to pick up Jenny. The scent of freshly cleaned baby skin filled Peyton's nose. Her heart lifted as the small girl pressed her head into Peyton's chest. "That a girl," Peyton soothed as she bounced Jenny up and down. Jenny let out a few soft wails and then whimpered to a stop.

"You're a natural," Jake told her as he entered the room. Peyton smiled.

"She's a good kid." Jake laughed.

"When she wants to be. Isn't that right you little trouble maker?" Jake tenderly took Jenny in his arms. He kissed her forehead and then Peyton's. "Let's finish the movie." He held Jenny close and put an arm around Peyton, taking his two girls to the living room.

Lucas put his pen down when he heard a knock on his door. Wondering who it could be, Lucas went to the door.

"Brooke? What are you doing here?" Lucas was both shocked and pleased.

"Well I was thinking about how Peyton has Jake and Haley has Nathan. And I saw how happy they are. So I thought back to the last time I was that happy only to realize that it was when I was with you." Lucas smiled, though Brooke's eyes began to mist over.

"Look Brooke I know I screwed up with you before, but I promise I…" but Lucas didn't finish his promise for at that moment Brooke pressed her lips to his. He put his arms around her, pulling her closer so that their bodies were indistinguishable from one another, merely a mass of limbs moving in unison. Groping for a bit of what they once had, lost, and were hoping to gain again.

"Is it safe to come back in?" Jenna asked as she entered the apartment, hand over her eyes. Nathan laughed.

"It's ok." Jenna's hand fell and she looked around the living room. Only Nathan was there.

"You scare my sister off?"

"She's in the bedroom, asleep." Jenna nodded.

"So you guys had a little party? Did you guys do it?" Nathan shook his head.

"I don't feel exactly comfortable talking about this with you."

"So that's a no. Well I can fix that."

"I…I'm sorry?" Nathan stammered.

"You said Haley's asleep." Jenna leaned in to whisper in Nathan's ear. "And I can be really quiet."

"Good joke." Nathan slid to the opposite side of the couch.

"I'm not kidding." In one swift motion, Jenna pulled her shirt off.

"Jenna Haley's your sister and my wife! I'm not going to do that to her." Nathan stood up.

"Fine." Jenna put her shirt back on as she stood up. "But don't think this is over." She traced a finger across Nathan's broad shoulders and then went to the bedroom, leaving Nathan to wrestle with his thoughts.


	9. Refusing to Believe

"Every genius is bound to be naïve." Friedrich von Schiller

To tell or not to tell, that is the question. Nathan stared straight ahead, out the window. The birds twitted about merrily, mocking him. Just last night, his wife's twin sister had offered herself to him, most guys' fantasy sleeping with twins but Nathan loved Haley. And now he was wrestling with his thoughts of telling Haley or keeping it to himself. His head ached due to the tennis match going on in there. On the one hand is wife needed to know what kind of a person her sister was. But on the other hand, Nathan wanted to protect her. To keep her from having to see the bad in Jenna. Nathan put his head in his hands.

"Morning!" Haley entered the living room, making Nathan jump. "Sorry I passed out on you last night."

"It's ok, I got you to the bed." And then your sister wanted me to sleep with her. Haley walked to the couch and kissed Nathan. When she pulled back she looked at him intensely, a worry line across her forehead.

"You don't look well. Did you sleep?" She touched his cheek gently, with concern.

No I was too busy trying to figure out if I should tell you what a slime ball your sister is.

Nathan opened his mouth, ready to say something but he was cut off by the person he least wanted to see. "Good morning you two!" Jenna greeted. She seemed to want to act like nothing ever happened. Like she wasn't the terrible person that she was. Nathan looked first at her and then to his overly chipper wife. She looked so excited to have both her sister and her husband with her. He couldn't break her heart like that.

"I couldn't sleep so I went and played some basketball and then I just got caught up in the game."

"What are we going to do with you?" Haley laughed as she sank into his lap and kissed him.

"Could you two get a room?" Jenna asked. Haley kissed Nathan again and then stood.

"So what's for breakfast," she asked.

Jenna responded to Haley, but her eyes were on Nathan. "Tell you what, how about you go get a shower and Nate and I'll make breakfast," Jenna suggested. Nathan looked from Jenna to his wife.

"Actually, I'm going to go get a shower. Been playing basketball all night, you know? The two of you can spend some time together." With one last look, Nathan hurried from the room.

"So what are you planning this weekend?" Haley asked of Jenna as she began to make coffee.

"Well I'm thinking of hitting up this party down at the college." Something in Jenna's voice told Haley that wasn't the whole story.

"What part of the college?"

Jenna walked to the fridge and opened it, bending down so that she was behind the door when she responded. "It's at one of the fraternity houses."

"You're hitting up a frat party?!" The coffee maker let out a hiss to emphasize Haley's shock.

"It's not a frat party, it's just a party that happens to be at a frat house." Jenna smiled and poured herself a cup of orange juice.

"Don't you think that you should try studying considering you're failing half of your classes?"

"My teachers have come to expect failing from me. They look at the name on the test and automatically write an F on it. Why change it up on them now?"

"You know Jenna, all this time I've spent with you has made me realize just how cynical you are." Haley sipped from her coffee.

"Speaking of all the time you've been spending with me, have you spent any time with Nathan lately?" Haley opened her mouth to respond, but Jenna read her mind. "NOT counting last night when you passed out on him." Haley's mouth closed. "I mean are things all right between the two of you?" Haley's coffee mug lowered.

"Things are great, why?"

"Just asking. You should come to the party with me tonight. Both of you."

"I'll ask Nathan." Jenna smiled then took her orange juice and a banana to the living room.

A few minutes later, Haley was sitting in the bedroom getting ready. "So Jenna was asking if we wanted to go to a frat party with her tonight," Haley told Nathan as she put an earring on.

"A party with Jenna?" Haley noted a change in Nathan's voice but brushed it off as a trick of her imagination.

"Yeah, I think it'll be fun. Give the three of us a chance to hang out." Haley put her other earring in.

"So just the three of us and a bunch of frat boys?" Nathan joined Haley in the bedroom.

"Yeah or we could invite Lucas."

"Like a double date?" Shoes moved around as Nathan searched for his sneakers.

"Actually I don't think the two of them are together anymore."

"Well maybe they'll get back together." Nathan yanked his left shoe from the dark corner of the closet.

"Why are you so adamant about the two of them dating?" questioned Haley.

"No reason." He tied his shoes with a bit more aggression than necessary. "Fine we can go, call Lucas. Bye." He kissed Haley. "Going to go play basketball."

"Ok I'll see you later." Nathan exited the apartment without a look in Jenna's direction. Jenna watched him go and then joined her sister in the bedroom.

"I swear, sometimes it feels like he's having an affair," Haley said quietly.

"Not yet," Jenna mumbled as she walked to the bathroom.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, I'm going to go get a shower. See you tonight."

"I still don't see why we had to bring your sister along," Brooke complained for the hundredth time since they had arrived at the frat house.

"Ok first of all chubby, I'm the one who was invited to this party, the rest of you just tagged along. And secondly, who stole who's boyfriend." Jenna looked pointedly at the linked hands of Brooke and Lucas.

"Again, Jenna I didn't mean…" Lucas started.

"Relax, there are plenty of other guys for me to date," Jenna stopped him. Brooke looked at her, uneasily, hoping that she wasn't thinking of a certain guy. As if to taunt her, Jenna shot a look in Nathan's direction. For a moment the two made eye contact.

"So who wants to go get a drink?" Brooke tried to break the contact. Lucas and Jenna raised their hands.

"What the hell," Haley threw her hand up too. "Lead the way." Brooke began to lead the group to the kitchen. "Nate, you coming?" Haley called to her husband who remained in the midst of the crowd. Nathan looked past Haley to Jenna's retreating back.

"I don't think so, you go on." He waved to her, then pushed his way through the massed of people. Haley gave a sigh and then joined the rest of the group near the beer keg.

"I thought I might find you here." Nathan jumped as he heard the bedroom door being flung open.

"What are you doing here Jenna?" Nathan asked nervously.

"Can't a girl come to see her brother in law and possible seduce him." Jenna shut the bedroom door with a mischievous grin.

"Jenna, we've been over this. I'm not going to do that to Haley. I love her."

Jenna rolled her eyes and sighed. "It's always because you don't want to do that to Haley, never because you don't want me." Jenna kinked an eyebrow. "And besides, just because you love her doesn't mean we can't have a little fun," she finished in a seductive tone. A clink as Jenna set her beer glass down on the nightstand. Rustling as she settled down on the bed next to Nathan. "So what do you say?" She leaned closer to Nathan so that he could smell the booze on her breath.

"I say I love your sister." Nathan stood and walked out the door of the bedroom, slamming it behind him. Jenna shook her head, grabbed her beer off the stand, and took a swig.

Downstairs, music was blaring as Lucas, Brooke, and Haley tried to have a conversation.

"Has anyone seen Nathan?" Haley yelled over the noise. Brooke and Lucas shook their heads. At that moment, Nathan entered the scene, storming down the stairs. "Nathan! Where have you been?" Nathan ran a hand through his hair.

"Upstairs."

"Well that you for that terse response. Have you at least seen Jenna?" Nathan shook his head back and forth, coming to a conclusion he wished he hadn't.

"Haley, there's something I need to tell you about Jenna." He looked at Brooke and Lucas, concerned looks on their faces.

"What is she in the CIA or something?" Haley giggled.

"Sweetie that was a terrible joke," Brooke said as she touched Haley's arm gently, she knew what was coming.

"Haley your sister's been hitting on me," Nathan blurted out. Lucas looked shocked, Brooke looked a bit smug, but Haley just looked amused.

"Not you too. Brooke's already given me this spiel."

"It's not a spiel Haley, it's the truth." Nathan looked cross.

"Would you quit attacking my sister?! Brooke you don't like her because she insults you and Nathan you're just pissed because I've spent so much time with her since she's gotten here. And I've barely had enough time for you. I'm sorry about that, and I promise that we'll do something together just the two of us. You don't have to make things up to get my attention. So now why don't the two of you just lay off Jenna! She's had enough crap in her life and she doesn't need anymore from the two of you!"

"Haley, why would we lie to you?" Brooke put a hand on both of Haley's shoulders. "Your sister is a lying, husband stealing hussy."

"Shut up!" Haley shook Brooke off. She looked to her husband who looked worried. And then she looked at Brooke who looked a bit hurt. "I….I can't deal with you right now. I'm going home." With tears in her eyes, Haley turned on her heel and elbowed her way through the mass of people to the door.


	10. Seeing the Truth, or at Least Half of It

"Make a remark,' said the Red Queen; 'it's ridiculous to leave all the conversation to the pudding!" Lewis Carroll, _Through the Looking Glass_

"Damnit!" Nathan cursed as he smashed his fist on a table nearby. People looked around at the commotion, but soon they lost interest for they only saw a surly young man staring at a closed door. The party resumed. "I've got to go after her." Nathan made a move to head out the door, but Brooke put a hand on his arm.

"Let her go. She needs to cool down and it's not going to help if you go and yell at her," Brooke reasoned.

"I'm not going to yell at her I'm just going to…"

"Nate, just stay. Try to relax a bit before you go home. This'll give her a chance to let it sink it," Brooke continued.

"She's known Jenna her whole life, she should know what a horrible person she is!" Nathan didn't seem to be calming down.

"Ok this is going to be hard, but I'm going to try to explain to you the inner workings of the female mind. Haley doesn't want to believe that Jenna is a bad person because that would imply that Haley was a bad person."

"What?!"

"They share the same DNA, to Haley that means that to some extent they are the same person. So that means she's not going to admit that Jenna tried to hit on you. Not to mention Haley's trying to stick it to me." Brooke smiled.

"Fine. Whatever. I won't go home for a while." But Nathan seemed unconvinced.

"That's all I ask." Nathan shook his head and then headed off in the direction of the kitchen, where the keg was. "That's not exactly the way I imagined him calming down," Brooke mumbled to Lucas.

"Like you're one to talk," Lucas responded. Brooke punched him in the arm playfully. He smiled and kissed her. "So Haley thinks she and Jenna are the same just because they're twins? Are all females that screwed up?"

"Not me." Brooke took a sip of her drink.

"Oh really?"

"Ok maybe just a little. But that's part of the reason you love me."

"Mmmhmm." Lucas put a hand on the small of her back, pulling her close. "You must be really screwed up for me to love you this much." He kissed her, stifling her giggle.

"Ahhh!" Nathan sighed contentedly an hour later as he set down his…well he lost count after five, beers of the night. A frat boy near him handed him another beer.

"Chug! Chug! Chug!" The boys began to chant to Nathan who continued to drink the almost constant supply of beers that were shoved in his hand.

"Nathan!" Nathan set his beer down and squinted. Everything was blurry, he thought he recognized the voice but his mind wasn't functioning correctly.

"Haley?" he asked.

"No man, it's your brother. Lucas." Suddenly he felt his arm being pulled on and he was taken from the seat.

"No, I want to stay. More beer," he slurred.

"If you drink anymore you're going to be dead." Lucas slung Nathan's arm around his own shoulders and began to half carry, half drag Nathan through the kitchen.

"Oh my gosh!" Brooke exclaimed when she saw him. She flitted over to the two brothers.

"Damnit he's heavy," Lucas groaned.

"Haley?" Nathan asked squinting to Brooke.

"No Nate, it's me Brooke. How much did he drink?" she directed at Lucas.

"A good bit I would say." Suddenly Lucas's phone rang. "Brooke can you get that." He pointed to his pants pocket.

"Ok, but normally I would ask for dinner before this." She reached into his pocket. "It's Haley," she read the caller ID.

"Don't answer that." Brooke pressed the 'Ignore' button. "Ok we've got to find a place for Nathan to hang out until his he's a little more conscious."

"Somehow, I don't think he should go home." Brooke waggled the phone at Lucas as it rang again, still reading 'Haley Cell'.

"Well I can't take him home with me. My mom might be just as dangerous as Haley if she figures out Nathan got drunk at a frat party."

"I would normally love to help Lucas, but Nathan and I aren't really that close and I don't really want to incur the wrath of Tutorgirl. She might throw books at me or something." Lucas pulled Nathan up again as he had begun to slip.

"Haley," Nathan mumbled again. "Why would she just leave like that? She didn't believe me." His word were slurred and almost incoherent.

"Well we better find a place for him soon, he's too heavy for me to sit here and hold." Lucas heaved Nathan up.

"Upstairs," Brooke suggested. Seeing no alternative, Lucas nodded. The two of them awkwardly dragged Nathan up the stairs and into one of the bedrooms, laying him on the bed, limbs sprawled everywhere. "Turn him on his side," Brooke instructed. "That way if he pukes it won't choke him." Lucas looked at her curiously as he followed her instructions. "I've had lots of experience with this kind of thing.

"Thanks," Nathan mumbled.

"You're welcome," Lucas said with a hint of sarcasm. Then he stood to face Brooke. "I hate to leave him like this but someone really needs to check on Haley."

"I'll go." She was almost out the door. "Shit!"

"What is it?"

"You drove me here."

"Damnit!" Lucas looked back at his brother, lying on his side and mumbling about Haley. A quick glance around the room revealed a trash can in the corner. Lucas moved it beside the bed in case Nathan needed it. "Let's go quickly. I'll drop you off and then come back here to check on him."

"Are you sure? I mean I can get someone else to drive me."

"Like who?"

"One of the frat boys. I'm sure I could persuade them."

"Let's go." Lucas put his hand on the small of her back and directed her out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Jenna watched the two of them leave. There went her ride. Haley had left earlier with her and Nathan's car. And now, peeking through the curtain, Jenna watched Brooke and Lucas drive off in Lucas's car. As she took another sip from her drink, Jenna realized that she hadn't seen Nathan leave. The last time she had seen him he was drinking in the kitchen, mumbling about Haley not believing him. Well if Haley wouldn't believe him about, Jenna assumed, Jenna hitting on him then why not throw caution to the wind. Jenna swigged a bit of her beer and then went to look for Nathan.

Nathan heard the door open. He looked up, squinting through the blurriness. He saw a girl enter and close the door behind her. "Haley?" he muttered again.

"Close," a voice laughed. Even with all the alcohol, Nathan knew who it was in the room with him.

"Jenna." He struggled to sit up. The padding of footsteps and then gentle hands were helping him sit and lean against the headboard. "Thanks," he muttered a bit reluctantly.

"So I guess my sissy poo left earlier. Was it something you said?" Jenna laughed. "You tried to tell her that I hit on you didn't you?"

"She…she needs to know." Nathan watched as Jenna walked across the room and sat on the other side of the bed.

"Yeah but she trusts me. So that means that you're going to take all the blame for whatever we do together." Nathan could smell the alcohol on her breath as she leaned into him, one hand on his chest. He tried to push her off but the alcohol rendered him pretty weak. "So if I do this," Jenna kissed Nathan's neck. "it's all on you."

"Don't," Nathan grumbled.

"And if I do this," Jenna kissed his jaw. "it's still you." "Stop this." "And you'll even get the blame if I do this." Jenna put her hands on both sides of Nathan's face and kissed him hard on the mouth. She tried to force his lips open with her tongue, but soon she pulled back when she heard the door open. The two on the bed looked to the door.

"Haley," Nathan whispered.

"Lucas called me to tell me about how much you were drinking, I came to see if you were all right. But I guess you are." Haley's voice was small and she sniffled. Suddenly she seemed to get angry. "You had my sister to look after you! I can't believe the two of you! How could you do this to me?"

"Well I'm a conniving bitch," Jenna responded. She seemed eerily calm.

"And what's your excuse?" Haley looked to Nathan. But Nathan couldn't respond. His tongue felt too big for his mouth and no matter how hard he tried, no response came to him. Haley scoffed. "Unbelievable. Fine Jenna you win! He's all yours. The two of you can have the apartment to yourselves. No pesky wife for you to deal with. I'm going to stay with Lucas. Don't be at the apartment for another couple of hours, give me enough time to get my things without having to see either of you!" With tears in her eyes, Haley turned and ran out the bedroom. No matter how many times Nathan opened his mouth to call after her, no sound came out.

"Well that was nice of her. The whole apartment to ourselves. Whatever will we do?" Jenna purred, touching Nathan's jaw. He shoved her aside and got unsteadily to his feet, rushing after Haley. Haley met Brooke and Lucas at the door.

"Hey Haley!" Brooke called. "We figured since you were coming here to get Nathan, we could help you with him. So we turned around, but we did stop to…" Brooke giggled as Lucas smiled. Then they noticed the tears.

"Hey what's up?" Lucas asked her.

"Nathan and Jenna," Haley said a bit hysterically. "Can I stay with you for a little while?"

"Of course, but what happened?" Lucas asked.

"Later. I have to go get my things." And with that she was gone.

Moments later, Nathan arrived at the door. Just in time to see Haley getting into her car. As she drove away, Nathan finally found his voice. "Haley," he said softly.


	11. Convincing Haley

**So this one's really just a bit of fluff, but hey every story has some.**

"I reject your reality and substitute it for my own." Adam Savage

Lucas placed a comforting hand on Nathan's shoulder. "It's ok man, I'll talk to her." He turned to his girlfriend. "You take the car, drive Nathan. I'll catch a ride home with someone."

"Lucas…" Brooke seemed to want to protest.

"Don't worry I'll walk if I have to, need the workout anyway. Bye babe." He pecked Brooke's cheek and then left.

"So Nathan, do you care to explain what exactly happened in between the time Haley came back for you and the time she ran out crying?" She smiled. He rolled his eyes. "Ok the wound's still fresh. I get it. I can't count the number of times I screwed things up and then people felt the need to pour salt in the wound. Then again I'm not married. I mean that must be amplifying this problem by at least like twenty times."

"Brooke! You're not helping."

"Sorry." Brooke bobbed her head a bit to the music, not knowing exactly what to do. "Hey Nate." She looked to the man whose head was hung down and looked as if he'd been to hell and back.

"What?!" He snapped, but weakly.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He looked to the brunette.

"Will Haley be there?" Brooke's face showed a look of concern.

Without a word, she walked to Nathan and wrapped her arms around him. "We can hope." Brooke exhaled. "We can hope," she whispered.

The sound of the engine turned off with a rumble. "You going to be ok?" Brooke looked to Nathan.

"The car's not here," Nathan said in response. He was taking this hard, avoiding eye contact with Brooke, instead looking to the place where the car should have been parked. Then he looked to the window where Haley should have been looking out, waiting for him. Brooke felt awkward, she didn't know what to do in situations like these, it's not like situations like these came up very often. She listened to the chirping of crickets through the open window and stared out into the night. She tried to pretend like there wasn't a depressed man whose marriage was on the rocks in her car, instead thinking about her and Lucas. This put a smile on her face. Then she heard a rustle and she was brought back to reality.

"You want me to come in with you?" she suggested. A grumble and a shrug in response. "Ok, I'll have Lucas call you in the morning." Another grumble and Nathan got out of the car. He was headed up the walkway when he heard the car window roll down. "Hey Nate." He turned. "People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end." He simply stared before turning back around and walking into his apartment. Brooke watched him go into the apartment before she pulled out her phone. She dialed a number and then waited. "Hey Luke, yeah. He's not doing very well. Did you talk to Haley? Uh huh. We need to help them." Brooke cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she turned the key in the ignition and the engine growled to life.

The curtain closed once Nathan turned from the window. He walked to the bedroom. His first night sleeping alone in a long time. But when he flicked on the light, he realized that someone didn't think he'd be sleeping alone.

"How are you doing brother in law?" Jenna was sprawled across the bed. "So now that we have the apartment all to ourselves what do you want to do?" Nathan rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

"Jenna I want you to know that the only reason I'm not kicking your ass out of this apartment right now is because I love Haley and no matter how bitchy you are, you're still her sister and that means something to her. But as long as you're living here you will sleep on the couch. In fact, whenever I come into a room it would be great if you would just leave. So get off the bed and go to the couch." A pillow was launched from Nathan, hitting Jenna. Seemingly unperturbed, Jenna took the pillow and walked to the living room, leaving Nathan to collapse on the bed.

It had been three days since party incident. Nathan had tried to talk to Haley every day, but she refused to talk to him. Lucas tried to talk to her but she would hear none of it. Brooke avoided the subject of Nathan all together, feeling that Haley needed a break from the nagging. Peyton and Jake were too busy being in love with one another and with Jenny to talk about anything else.

Lucas and Haley were sitting in Lucas's room reading when they heard a knock on the door. Haley looked to Lucas who smiled a suspicious smile. "Come in!" The door creaked open.

"Oh my gosh. Lucas would you just give this a rest?!" Haley asked, exasperated, as Nathan walked into the room.

"Haley…" Nathan started.

"I'm not listening to this." She threw her hands up and headed for the door. But her way was barred by Lucas. He stood in front of the door and grabbed Haley's arms.

"Haley you need to hear him out. You know that and I know that."

"Lucas please," Haley begged quietly.

Lucas responded in an equally quiet tone. "Haley I love you and I hate to see you hurting like this. And he's the only one that can make you happy again." Lucas took both of her hands in his and kissed her forehead. "I want to see you happy." Haley looked up at him and sighed. Silently, she moved to the bed and sat down. She looked at an uncomfortable Nathan, giving him a look to tell him to go on.

"Haley I just wanted to tell you that what happened was not what it looked like. I was drunk and my motor skills weren't like they normally are. So when your sister kissed me, I didn't really have the strength to push her away."

"Didn't have the strength or didn't have the heart?" Haley stared accusingly at him, her arms crossed.

"Haley I love you. And just because your sister kissed me doesn't change that. I mean what about Chris Keller? You kissed him. Did that change how you felt about me?"

"I cannot believe I'm hearing this." Haley stood up, throwing her hands into the air in desperation. "I can't believe you pulled that card. We've talked that issue to death. Not to mention we swore to one another not to bring that up again."

"But we can bring up my mistakes?!" Nathan took a couple of steps towards Haley. Lucas hovered on the side, seeing that this was not going as planned. "You think you're all perfect but the truth is you make mistakes too. And then you get all high and mighty when someone else screws up. So you know what Haley? I came here to apologize and try to get you to come home, but I can see that that's a waste of time. So Haley I love you and I want you home and I'm sorry for what you think I did. When you're ready to open your eyes, I'll be at our apartment with your slutty sister who by the way kissed me!" Nathan looked at Haley, pleading her with his eyes to say something. But when she didn't say anything he turned to go back to the apartment.

Haley watched the door close behind him, blinking back the tears. She sunk down onto the bed and began to sob. "Hey, hey," Lucas sat down on the bed and put an arm around Haley. "It's ok."

"Lucas, I miss him." She leaned her head on Lucas's shoulder. This confused Lucas a bit. Trying to be gentle, he explained to her that she could have had him. "He was right here, you could have just…"

Haley almost laughed at his ignorance. "Lucas I'm not ready to take him back." His shirt began to soak through with her tears. "Do you think I got married to young?"

For a moment, Lucas stopped patting Haley's shoulder, shocked by her question. He didn't really know how to respond to her. He thought for a bit. "Do you love him?" Haley nodded into Lucas's chest. "Then no. I think you have a great gut and if you believe you made the right decision then you probably did." Haley looked up at Lucas.

"Really?" Her tear filled eyes blinked up at him. He nodded and she buried her face in his chest again. A fresh wave of sobs rocked her body as he kissed the top of her head.

Peyton put a new record on. She put the needle on the vinyl then moved to the bed and sat down next to Jake. He put an arm around her and sighed. Peyton looked up to him, kissing him quickly. Jenny giggled and the couple turned to her, tickling her stomach. She cooed with delight. "If only our favorite teen married couple was as happy as the two of you," Brooke said as she made her entrance.

"I've really got to start locking the front door," Peyton joked to Jake. Brooke ignored Peyton's comment.

"Then again, give the two of you a couple more weeks and you might just be our new favorite teen married couple."

"Brooke!" Peyton scolded.

"I'm just saying, the two of you have a nice little family atmosphere here." Brooke looked at the little girl squished between the couple. Peyton and Jake rolled their eyes in unison.

"So Haley and Nathan still aren't doing well?" Peyton changed the topic.

"Nope, it's still Splitsville. Nathan's living with slutty anti- Haley which to me does not seem like a very good idea since she's the one that got them in this situation in the first place." Peyton's computer chair gave out a squeak as Brooke plopped down and began to fiddle with the web cam. "Do you guys leave this on all the time like even when you're…you know." Brooke raised an eyebrow. A pillow soared through the air, barely missing Brooke's head. "Oh so you guys haven't done it in a while. Is it because of Jenny? I know what that's like. Every time Lucas and I get anywhere close to doing it, mopey Haley comes in. Now normally I'm not opposed to doing it for an audience but I feel like that would be rubbing it in her face a little." Jake tickled Jenny's feet as Peyton and Brooke thought about Haley and Nathan's situation. He looked up to see the sad looks on both of their faces.

"The two of them, they're going to be all right," Jake assured the girls.

"I hope so," Peyton said with a sigh.

"Ditto," Brooke said as she leaned back in the chair and began to check her email.

"You two have no faith. Brooke isn't it you that's always saying that people who are meant to be together always find their way in the end? Don't you think that Haley and Nathan are meant to be together?" He gave her a pointed look.

Brooke sighed, wishing that she didn't have to voice what she was about to. "I used to think so. I mean they made me believe in love again. They're the reason I never gave up on Lucas. But the more things they go through the more I realize that we're seventeen. We haven't had enough life experience to choose someone to spend the rest of our lives with. Hell I have enough trouble picking out which pair of shoes is going to spend the day with me. Who's to say we know what love is?" Brooke sighed realizing what she had just said.

Jake on the other hand looked to Peyton and took her hand in his. "Trust me, you know." Peyton smiled. "When you're with them your chest tightens and your heart beats a million miles an hour and your head gets all cloudy and kind of makes you dizzy. That's how you know you're in love." Jake and Peyton's gazes locked.

"Sounds to me like you've got the flu. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning." Brooke stood up and walked to the door of the room. Before she left she turned back to look at Peyton and Jake. The two were still staring into each other's eyes, big goofy smiles on their faces. And their smiles made Brooke smile. "Crazy kids," she mumbled as she left the house.


	12. James Bonding It

"Sometimes reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass. And when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired, we are scared, denying it doesn't change the truth. Sooner or later we have to put aside our denial and face the world. Head on, guns blazing. De Nile. It's not just a river in Egypt, it's a freakin' ocean. So how do you keep from drowning in it?" Meredith Grey, Grey's Anatomy

"So we need to help Haley and Nathan," Brooke announced as she flung the door to Lucas's bedroom open.

"I'm sorry?" He set his pen down.

"She's not here is she?" Brooke looked in the closet and under the bed. This made Lucas laugh.

"Yeah before you got here, we were playing a mad game of hide and seek so she's under my bed."

"Haha." Brooke playfully punched Lucas's arm. "I'm just making sure she's not here."

"She's gone to the tutor center."

"What?"

"People deal in different ways and with Haley that way is tutoring."

"To each his own. Anyways go grab some snacks. Peyton and Jake are going to be here soon."

"What is this all about?" Brooke sat down in Lucas's lap.

"This is about getting even with anti- Haley. We need Haley to know the truth about her evil twin. And you my dear are going to be part of it whether you like it or not."

"Oh I am?"

"Yeah. And you know why?" Brooke leaned close to him.

"Why?" Brooke kissed him.

"Because you care about Haley. Now go get snacks." Brooke tugged Lucas to his feet. "Drinks too Boyfriend!"

"Well you certainly have him on a leash," Peyton joked as she entered the room followed by Jake carrying Jenny.

"You brought the munchkin." Brooke held out her arms and a hesitant Jake passed Jenny over. "You're about to see your daddy aid in taking someone down. Now I know he gives off this appearance like he's morally ethical and all, but we both know that deep down he's going to love it."

At that moment Lucas reappeared with the snacks. "Thanks man," Jake said as Lucas handed him a soda.

"So I'm all for taking down anti- Haley," Peyton said as she sat down beside Brooke. "But how exactly are we going to convince Haley that her sister's a no good cheating whore." Brooke covered Jenny's ears.

"Careful P. Sawyer. Virgin ears." Jake shook his head. "My plan is that you and I bug the apartment. Then Lucas casually turns on the computer at a time when anti- Haley is seducing Nathan. Haley hears the audio and bam no more hearing about how I've gained a couple of pounds." Jake and Lucas shook their heads.

"So we're James Bonding it?" Lucas asked. Brooke nodded, a proud smile on her face.

"One hitch in the plan, how are we going to know when she's seducing Nathan?" Peyton tickled Jenny's stomach.

"Ah part B of plan take down anti- Haley." At that moment she heard a car outside. The three turned to the door, curious. "Perfect timing," Brooke muttered to herself. Then she spoke to the group. "For that part we will need a supporting player." She strained her ears to hear the sounds of footsteps, so that her timing would be spot on. "Enter one husband that's in the doghouse for something he didn't do." The door flung open.

"Am I late?" Nathan asked.

"Right on time," Brooke smiled. "Ok Nate all you need to know is that at, oh let's say six tomorrow night, anti- Haley needs to be seducing you."

"Woah, that's how I got into this situation in the first place."

Jake picked up a basketball off Lucas's floor and began to toss it from hand to hand. "Yeah but this time double o seven over here is going to bug your place," he said.

"And as long has Lucas has Haley looking at the computer at six, then you'll be back in Tutorgirl's good graces in no time," Brooke beamed.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Nathan asked.

"Well I…" Brooke was cut off.

"No, I want a sane person's opinion." Nathan looked from Lucas to Jake and then to Peyton. "Well since Jenny can't answer, I'd say you're the closest to sane in this room Jake. What do you think?"

"I think that if you want Haley back, it's worth a shot."

"Then let's do this." Brooke clapped her hands together.

"Too much fun!"

"Ok Nate, everything's a go. There's a microphone on your lampshade beside the bed. And also one in the vase of flower's in the living room," Brooke spoke into her phone. Nathan looked nervously to the vase of flowers next to him. "Well it's five fifty five now. Good luck. I hope this works."

"Hope this works?! I thought you said this was definitely going to work?!" But Brooke had already hung up. "I thought you assured me that this was going to work."

"Assured you that what was going to work?" Jenna entered the living room.

"Nothing." Nathan set his phone on the table beside him. Here goes nothing he thought to himself.

"Hey Hales, there's something I think you need to hear." Lucas clicked a few buttons so that the audio from Nathan's apartment played.

"What is it?"

"Just listen." Haley sat back on the bed as she heard the scene play out.

Nathan coughed nervously. "So Jenna I was thinking about what you said the other night."

"What night?" Jenna sat down beside Nathan on the couch.

"At the party." Jenna laughed.

"The infamous party. You mean when I told you that Haley trusted me and that no matter what I did with you, you would get the blame?"

Nathan tried to keep the anger from his voice. "Yeah that. I was just wondering, you know because I was so smashed that night, were you trying to seduce me?"

"You bet. And I've been trying to do it ever since. Why are you finally coming around?" Jenna gave a smile.

"No, I just think that your sister needed to know."

"What?" Jenna looked around the apartment. Without a word, Nathan pulled the microphone from the lampshade. "Well I guess Haley knows then." Jenna grabbed the microphone from Nathan. "Haley you better be quick in getting over here because your husband looks hot even when he's just got me caught in a lie. I may not be able to control myself. Just like I couldn't control myself with Lucas. I'm sure he's there with you. Hey babe." She made a kissing noise over the microphone. "See you two soon." She threw the mic down and stomped on it. "So what should we do while we wait?"

The laptop closed with a snap. "Lucas, car now." As Haley followed Lucas outside thoughts ran through her head. Some angry, some disappointed.

The car ride was silent. The walk to the apartment, heavy with unspoken words. The door was flung open even before Haley knocked. Immediately, she wrapped her arms around Nathan. "I'm so sorry," she whispered into his ear. "I should have believed you."

"I'm just glad you're back." They broke apart as they heard clapping.

"Simply beautiful," Jenna commented. "Hey sis."

"Don't you hey sis me you conniving hussy!"

"Ok I can't sense that you're mad…"

"Damn right I'm mad. Trying to steal my husband? That's low even for you Jenna. I love him, how could you do that to me?" Haley's eyes began to water.

"You love him? Then tell me, how come when he told you that I was trying to seduce him you refused to believe him. Seems to me if you loved him you would have believed him, no questions asked."

"You don't even know what love is!" Haley yelled.

"Yeah but it appears to me like neither do you."

"Get out!" Haley roared.

"Already packed my bags." From behind the door, she pulled her suitcases. She walked to the couple. "Bye sis." She leaned in to whisper in Haley's ear. "Think about what I said." Before she knew what she was doing, Haley had spit at Jenna's smug grin. Her smile growing, Jenna wiped the spit off her face. "Now that's what I call love. Fight for him Hales." She attempted to pat Haley on the shoulder, but Haley retracted. "Bye Lucas." Jenna waved and then was gone.

"I'm going to leave the two of you alone. You've got a lot to talk about. I'll bring your stuff to you in the morning," Lucas told Haley. "I'm sorry." He kissed Haley's forehead and then he too was gone.

With a sigh, the couple moved to the couch prepared to talk about what had happened between them.

Lucas threw his keys on his side table. "So did the plan work?" Brooke asked eagerly.

"Haley kicked Jenna out, and she's back with Nathan." Noting the look on Brooke's face, Lucas cautioned his girlfriend. "But they've got a lot to talk about so let's not bother them tonight."

"Whatever would make you think I would even consider calling the two?" Lucas gave her a look. "Ok I would love to call them and brag about how I fixed their relationship. But I won't." A silence fell over the room. "So anti- Haley's gone?" Lucas nodded. Brooke pumped her fist in the air. "This calls for a celebration." She bounced over to Lucas. "Dinner?"

"Wherever you want to go Pretty Girl." Lucas took Brooke's hand. Brooke smiled up at her boyfriend, glad that she had him in her life. Suddenly a dizziness overtook her. Brooke laughed. "What is it?" Lucas asked with a smirk.

"My chest feels tight." The smile never left Brooke's face.

"Are you all right," Lucas looked concerned.

Brooke nodded and took his hand, pulling it to her chest. "Feel that?"

"Your heart's beating a million miles an hour."

"Exactly." Still clinging to his hand, she stood on her tiptoes and pulled him into a kiss.

**This chapter didn't turn out exactly how I intended it to, but I think I did all right. Reviews much appreciated.**


	13. The Wrong One

"Relationships are like crystals, you don't realize how much you love it until it breaks." Anonymous

"I'll see you after class." Nathan leaned down and kissed his wife, glad to finally be back with her.

"See you." He squeezed her hand a bit tighter and then allowed her to walk away. That's when he was ambushed by Tim.

"Back with the wifey I see."

"Yeah."

"That's great man." Tim held his hand up for a high five. Shaking his head, Nathan high fived him. "So we should celebrate."

"As long as no women are involved and in the end I can go home to Haley, I'm up for it."

"Ok plan B. We'll go to that bar downtown. A guy's night out."

"Sounds cool man."

"Sweet. I'll tell the team." Like an overexcited puppy, Tim bounded down the hallway. Nathan chuckled once before going to his class.

"Tutorgirl!" Haley turned. She had heard the heels before the girl had even called out to her.

"Tigger."

"So I was…" But Brooke didn't finish because she was taken aback when Haley enveloped her into a hug. "Look Tutorgirl, you're hot an all but I'm kind of with Lucas. And you're with his brother, well half- brother really. So you see how this whole love rectangle would get a bit weird." Haley laughed.

"Thank you." Brooke realized what the hug was for. She smiled.

"Yeah you better thank me, I just saved the best thing you have in your life." Brooke threw an arm around Haley and the two began to walk down the hallway.

"So you think I'm hot, huh?"

"Totally." The two giggled.

"Hey Pretty Girl," Lucas greeted as he walked into Brooke's bedroom.

"Hey Boyfriend! Did you see Nathan and Haley together today, they looked so adorable. Are you proud that not only is your girlfriend extremely gorgeous but smart as well?"

"I'm always proud of you." Lucas wrapped his arms around her.

"Aw stop it." Lucas kissed Brooke gently at first and then more passionate. He pulled back and looked her in her eyes, then glanced once to her bed. "Are your parents home?"

"Why Lucas Scott what are you insinuating?" With a grin, Lucas pulled Brooke onto the bed with him.

Brooke traced circles onto Lucas's chest. She felt the warmth of his arms around her and felt the rise and fall of his chest. This was what it was supposed to be like. Brooke smiled. "Was it that good?" Lucas joked when he saw her smile. Her smile widened as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"I love you Lucas." Lucas tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that." With a grin Lucas reached one hand down to where his pants lay on the floor. He put his hand in the pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Brooke's smile faded a bit when she saw the box.

"Lucas it was good, but I don't think I'm pregnant don't worry," Brooke began to ramble. "Though you do have that incredible Scott sperm so who knows…"

Lucas put a hand over her mouth. "It's not an engagement ring." He opened the box. "It's a promise ring. It symbolizes my promise to you that if and when we're ready, I'll replace that with an engagement ring." Brooke's eyes teared up as he slid the ring onto her finger. Brooke's heart was doing backflips. She'd never had this feeling with any other guy except Lucas. Lucas was the only one who could take her breath away. Who ever had enough of her to hurt her. And that's when Brooke knew that she hoped someday he would replace that simple silver band with an engagement ring. Preferably one with a big diamond.

"I love you," Brooke repeated.

"I love you too Pretty Girl." Brooke kissed him and then put her head back on his chest, holding up her hand to admire her ring.

"It feels so good to be home," Haley said with a sigh as she and Nathan entered their apartment. Smiling, Nathan turned to her and gave her a kiss. "That feels good too." They kissed a bit longer, their tongues dancing in each other's mouths. Their lips remembering each other. And their hearts beating their long ago rhythm. Nathan began to push Haley towards the wall behind her. His hand moved to her waist, hers to his belt.

"Damnit!" He cursed, pulling back. He checked his watch.

"What?" Haley looked at him in alarm.

"I told Tim I'd meet him and the team in half an hour. I'll just call him and cancel."

"No." Haley brushed a bit of hair from his forehead. "You've had nothing to think about these past few days except winning me back."

"Assuming that you were all I thought about's a bit conceited don't you think." A smile spread over Nathan's lips as Haley smacked him playfully. "But it was a good assumption."

"Uh huh." Haley kissed him gently. She pulled back and put her forehead to his. "But you've go me now," she whispered.

"I do, don't I?" She nodded against him. The two stood like that, enjoying the warmth of each other for a moment. Then Haley kissed him. "So go be with your friends and when you come back the Haley- Nathan reunion tour can continue."

"Are you sure?"

"Go!" A quick peck and Nathan was out the door. Haley wrapped her arms around herself, closing her eyes she inhaled deeply.

"So I can't believe you left the wife again," a teammate cajoled Nathan.

"I know, if I was married to her I would never leave that hot little thing alone. We'd be doing it twenty four seven," Tim concurred.

"Watch it Tim, that's my wife you're talking about." Nathan took another drink from his glass.

"Tim don't cause any trouble, they've had enough to deal with," Lucas joked. "But I'm glad they're back together." Lucas clapped Nathan on the shoulder. "I missed you man." Nathan smiled at Lucas.

"Hey, do we need to get the two of you a room?" Tim ribbed. The two shook their heads.

Lucas picked up his glass. "To Nathan and Haley."

"To Nathan and Haley!" The rest of the team mimicked. Then they all took deep drags from their glasses. Lucas looked around, many of the guys were already on their second or third glasses and they hadn't even been there half an hour. He made a mental note not to drink too much, assuming he would have to be the designated driver for the evening.

"You sure you don't need any help getting inside?" Lucas asked of his brother for the fifth time.

"I'm fine," Nathan slurred. "It's just a little walk." He fumbled with his seat belt.

"Call me if you need anything, I'll be home soon I've just got to take Tim home."

A head popped up between the front seats. "How do you know my name?" Tim looked accusingly to Lucas.

"We're on the same basketball team."

"I play basketball?"

"Yeah at our high school."

"Oh yeah. Go mavens!" Tim's hand shot up, banging against the roof of the car.

"You mean Ravens?" Lucas asked. Tim seemed to become aware of him again.

"Do I know you?" Lucas rolled his eyes.

"Talk to you later man," Lucas said to Nathan as Nathan stumbled out of the car. He raised a hand and then staggered up the walkway. Miraculously, Nathan only tripped once on the stairs leading into his apartment. And even more of a miracle, Nathan could actually find his keys and place the correct one in his lock.

"You're home," a voice purred to him as he shut the door to the apartment. Nathan smiled, finally he would be able to get that thing he'd been craving since Haley left.

"Yeah I am," Nathan garbled a bit cocky.

"Are you drunk?" He squinted through the darkness to see a figure approach him.

"A little," he admitted.

"Perfect." He felt delicate hands wrap themselves around his wrists. Pretty soon his lips found another's. His hand rested on a hip as arms came around his neck, pulling him closer. A tongue licked his lips, begging for entrance. He obliged and parted his lips allowing he tongue to play with his. "I need you," a voice pleaded. Nathan needed no more persuasion. He picked up the tiny body, whose legs wrapped around him, and took her into the bedroom.

Sunlight flooded the room. With a groan, Nathan rolled over. His headache reminded him of the night before at the bar and the tiny hand on his chest reminded him of what happened afterwards. Without opening his eyes, Nathan put his hand over the one on his chest and fell back asleep.

An hour later Nathan was woken again, this time by what sounded like footsteps and then a voice. It wasn't more than a whisper, but it had enough impact to make him open his eyes. "How could you?" a familiar voice asked. He shot up in bed and looked to the door where his wife stood. He felt a stirring next to him and a girl sat up beside him.

"Hey sis," Jenna greeted as the sheet fell from her body, leaving no question as to what had occurred the night before.

"I thought we were ok." Haley was ignoring her sister.

"Haley we are." Nathan slipped on his boxers and moved to the door, taking Haley's hand. "I got drunk last night and you said that when I came back we'd be together. So when I came back and someone was there I naturally assumed it was you."

"Peyton called, asked if I could babysit so she and Jake could have some alone time. They were gone all night, so I left you a note." Haley shoved a piece of paper at him.

"Haley I'm so sorry," Nathan pleaded.

"You've been saying that a lot lately." Haley touched Nathan's face gently. "I'm going to go take a walk, clear my head." And without another word, Haley was gone.

Nathan turned back to the girl in his bed. "Are you determined to ruin my marriage?!" Jenna threw the sheet off, revealing her naked body.

"What can I say?" She moved towards him. "I want you all to myself." Nathan pushed her away.

He picked a shirt up off the floor and threw it at her. "Cover up and get out!" Nathan threw on pants and grabbed a shirt, throwing it over his head as he went out the front door after Haley.


	14. The Whole Gang Together

"I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies." Pietro Aretino

The tears stung Haley's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. How had life gotten so complicated? It seemed like only yesterday she and Nathan were standing on the beach promising each other always and forever and now he was in the apartment with her naked sister. Haley pulled the rubber band from her hair, releasing the curls from the pony-tail. The wind picked up her hair and it flowed out behind her like a banner. Shutting her eyes, Haley inhaled deeply, relishing in the feeling of freedom. But soon the wind was gone, taking with it her freeness and leaving Haley just as hurt as she was before. With a sigh, Haley continued to walk, her feet leading her on a familiar path.

Lucas looked across the room at Peyton and Jake, smiling at one another as Jenny smiled from her baby carrier. Then he looked to the girl seated in his lap. No matter how many times he had been this close to her, Brooke always took his breath away. And Lucas predicted that for as long as he would know her, she always would. "Whatcha thinking about Boyfriend?" Brooke said with her patented dimpled grin.

"How happy we all are. Peyton and Jake. You and me." He wrapped his arms tighter around her and she snuggled into him. "And now Haley and Nathan." But at these words the door to his room flung open to reveal a scraggily-looking Haley. One look at the mascara lines running down her face and Brooke knew something was wrong.

"You may have spoken too soon on that one." She gracefully rose from his lap and moved to Haley. "Hey Tutorgirl," she said quietly, as if afraid to startle Haley.

"He slept with her." Brooke looked to the other's whose faces mirrored her confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nathan. He slept with Jenna." Brooke's jaw dropped and a gasp emitted from Peyton.

Lucas stood quickly and grabbed his coat. "I think it's about time I had a talk with my brother," he spat out the last word and it was clear from his tone that talking was not all he intended to do. Haley touched his arm as he tried to get past her.

"Please don't go," she whispered. "I need you. I need you all." Her eyes sparkled with tears as they looked around the room at each loving faces.

"Come here babe." Brooke wrapped her arms around Haley and led her to the bed to sit. Lucas followed them and sat on Haley's other side, hugging her as well. Peyton moved to the end of the bed, sitting on the floor so that she held both of Haley's hands in hers. Even Jake, who had not had much of a relationship with Haley, moved to comfort the sobbing girl. He sat behind her, rubbing her back. The gang didn't move for a whole hour, no one said a word. Even Jenny seemed to sense something was wrong and chose to remain silent. So many questions hung on the tips of the four curious teenagers' tongues, but they knew that Haley would tell them when she was good and ready. For now all she needed was them to be there.

Finally Haley emerged. She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "I don't even know why I'm making such a big deal about it. I mean why lose myself over a guy who clearly doesn't love me."

"That's not true." The gang jumped simultaneously. Somehow, Nathan had slipped in the door without any of them hearing or seeing him.

"Oh you are so dead," Lucas grumbled as he pulled away from Haley.

"You know I could kick your ass, easy," Nathan responded a bit grouchily.

"I think you've done enough. It's time for you to leave!" Peyton stood up, coming to Haley's aid. The blonde stood between the two boys, and together she and Lucas shielded Haley from Nathan.

"If you don't mind, this concerns neither of you and I would like to talk to my wife!"

"We care about Haley, so when she gets hurt, it concerns us," Lucas said with a steely glare.

"How noble of you."

"Nathan you're not making things any better so just leave," Peyton said with a sigh.

"No. I'm not leaving until I talk to her." With that he sidestepped Peyton and took her place on the floor in front of Haley. "Haley." Nathan took her hands, but Haley pulled them back. "Haley let me tell you the truth."

"She doesn't want to hear it man," Jake tried to reason.

"I do," Haley's voice was quiet but stern. "I want to hear why you would do this to me. I gave you my heart Nathan. And lately it seems that all you've done is tear it apart."

"Haley please. I never meant to hurt you." An ominous crack of Lucas's knuckles.

"Then why Nathan?! Why would you sleep with my sister?" Though she was trying to stay strong, tears fell yet again from Haley's eyes.

"It was a mistake. I got drunk. I couldn't even think straight, Lucas can vouch for me." Nathan turned to his brother who just looked back, no expression on his face. "Well maybe not right now, but when this all blows over he will."

"Nathan this isn't just something we can sweep under the rug. It's not just going to blow over. We can't go back to being the happy married couple."

"We can. And you know how I know that? Because you and me belong together."

"It's you and I." Nathan laughed a bit. He reached up and brushed a lock of Haley's hair from her face.

"I love you Haley James Scott. And right now it pains me to see you hurt. And it kills me to know that I'm the one that caused those tears." He brushed a thumb across her cheek. Haley smiled a bit and in spite of herself, felt herself leaning into his touch. "No one can ever replace you, Hales."

But Haley wasn't quite ready to let her guard down. "What about my sister?"

Nathan's voice was firm. "No." Then his voice softened a bit as he took her hands in his. "My breath doesn't quicken when she walks into the room. Her smile doesn't make my day instantly perfect and her tears don't make my heart break. When she touched me my stomach didn't twist into knots. And she doesn't have my heart. That belongs to you Haley. Always. Always and…"

"Forever," Haley whispered. And even though she knew she was letting him off the hook easily, Haley threw herself into Nathan's arms. She pulled back and captured his lips with hers. "Don't ever do that to me again," she muttered between kisses.

"Never," Nathan replied as their kisses became more frantic and passionate.

"Woah, don't make me get the hose," Peyton joked. Smiles plastered across their faces, Nathan and Haley pulled back. Haley stood in front of Nathan as his arm snaked around her waist. She leaned into the comfort of his chest, feeling his breath on her neck. Their smiles were contagious, Peyton and Jake found themselves smiling too. A sniffle was heard. Haley turned to Brooke who had tears in her eyes.

"You two are so cute." Brooke rushed at them, enveloping the couple in a hug. As she pulled back she turned to Lucas and Peyton. "And we thought our love triangle was freaky." The newly reunited couple's faces both twisted up into pained expressions. Brooke sensed the awkward silence that followed her comment. "Too soon for jokes?"

"Just a little bit," Haley told her.

"I'm so happy for the two of you!" Brooke hugged Haley. And soon Peyton had joined the two girls. The three jumped around a bit and then collapsed onto the floor in a fit of giggles. And then they began to engage in a lightning quick conversation, leaving their boys in the corner by themselves.

"Nathan I know you're my brother and all, but I've known Haley all my life. She's like a sister to me. So I swear if you hurt her one more time oh…" Lucas cracked his knuckles. "There will be hell to pay."

"I don't plan to man." Nathan looked to his wife, a look of adoration in his eyes. "I don't plan to."

"Well those things are never planned," Jake added.

"Way to be a downer Jygalski," Nathan told him.

"What?!" Nathan gave Jake a gentle shove before walking over to join the girls. Haley smiled up at him as he helped her to her feet. Brooke and Peyton were also pulled to their feet by their respective boyfriends. Nathan put his arms around Haley, pulling her into him and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. There was really no need for words.

"I love you," he mouthed.

"I love you too," she mouthed back.

"Awww how sweet" Peyton said as the couple pulled away from each other. Jake had moved away to take care of a fussy Jenny.

"Wow, motherhood sure has mellowed you P. Sawyer," Brooke said as Lucas put his arm around her waist. "Before you would have called Nathan's little speech and this moment here trite, unimpressive, and stupid. But sweet? Never."

"I'm not a mother, Brooke. Jenny isn't my daughter." At that moment, Jake rejoined the group with the small girl in his arms. Her eyes fell on Peyton.

"Mama," she cooed as she reached her pudgy arms towards Peyton. The group laughed as Peyton took Jenny in her arms. Nathan nuzzled his head into Haley's neck and started to whisper into her ear.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "We've got to go home and…clean!" she finished as Nathan picked her up and slung her over his shoulder.

"Ah off to have kinky make-up sex," Brooke said with a smile as the couple left. "I know it well."

"I bet it's ten times better when you're married," Peyton said as smiled at Jenny.

"Well in, oh let's say six months you'll know."

"Brooke!" Peyton looked scandalized. Jake merely smiled.

"Oh come on Jenny calls you Mama, you and Jake can barely keep your eyes off one another, it's only natural for me to assume there to will be wedding bells in your future." Jake laughed as Peyton shook her head.

"Auntie Brooke is crazy," Peyton spoke in a baby voice to Jenny.

Brooke threw her arms around Lucas's neck, pulling him for a kiss. Lucas pulled back, his hands lingering on her waist. "I don't know about the married part, but if teen parenting couple over here," Brooke, jerked her head in the direction of Peyton and Jake. "…leave soon maybe we could work on the kinky sex part." She grinned

Their eyes locked. "Peyton. Jake. Out," Lucas and Brooke spoke in unison. With knowing smiles, Jake and Peyton made a hasty exit.

"So how kinky are we talking?" Lucas asked.

"Trust me, you will not be disappointed." Brooke pulled him into a kiss as she led him to the bed.


	15. Two Months Later

"The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." Tom Bodett

"Oh come on Brooke, you're going to make me cry," Peyton said as she tried her best to choke back tears.

"It's just that all that teasing from me is finally coming true. And you know how I like to be right." Peyton smiled, but she knew that this wasn't why her best friend was crying. Brooke brushed some powder over Peyton's skin. "You look beautiful," she whispered. Peyton smiled and the two best friends embraced. "I love you P. Sawyer."

"I love you too B. Davis." The two girls pulled back, both wiping at their eyes and sniffling a bit.

"Let's hope the two of you are as happy as Tutorcouple, minus all the anti-Haley problems." A soft chuckled escaped from Peyton.

"Thanks, but how about we don't talk about anti-Haley. Bitchy things tend to happen at the mere mention of her. Remember last time you brought her up and you tripped going up the stairs."

"Who says I'm not just a klutz?"

"Still, let's just avoid talking about she-who-must-not-be-named today. The last thing I would want is someone needing to go to the hospital."

"I didn't have to go to the hospital!"

"I wasn't talking specifically about you. You are so conceited. Why are we friends?" Brooke rolled her eyes.

"As if anyone could resist me. Come on let's go get you married P. Sawyer." She pulled Peyton to her feet with a rustle of tulle. "I guess this settles it," Brooke said as she twisted a couple of strands of Peyton's hair around her finger.

"Settles what?"

"You're officially the sluttier of the two of us." Peyton's jaw dropped, but she smiled a bit as she handed Brooke her bouquet and picked up her own. "But don't worry, Tutorgirl has got you beat. I mean at least you waited until you were a senior to get married."

"Stop it!" Peyton playfully whacked Broke with her bouquet. "Now get your butt down that aisle." Brooke kissed Peyton on the cheek and was then walking down the aisle, escorted by Lucas. She smiled at Jake as she reached the front of the church then stood next to Haley. The wedding march began to play and everyone turned to watch as Peyton entered. Peyton's father took her arm and they began to walk. Peyton smiled at the people as she passed. She and Jake had gone with a small wedding. Only family and close friends for their engagement had been short. It was a miracle that they had planned a wedding in less than two months though it didn't hurt that they had Brooke, super party/wedding planner Davis (who also happened to make dresses) on their side. Peyton had reached the front of the church. Her father kissed her forehead before taking his place beside Lucas. Jake took her hand, placing a kiss on it and the entire church could feel their love.

"May I cut in?" Brooke asked Jake. With a laugh, he stepped aside allowing his new wife to dance with her best friend. The two wrapped their arms around each other and swayed to the music. "So I guess this is the end," Brooke said with a sad smile.

"Brooke! I'm not dying!"

"Yeah but it's never going to be just the two of us again."

"It hasn't been just the two of us in a while." Brooke cocked her head in confusion, but Peyton nodded in the direction of Lucas. "He's always been there." A smile broke out on Brooke's face.

"He has hasn't he?" There was a silence as Brooke continued to smile and Peyton watched her.

"You smiling because you like him or because you won in this little triangle?"

"A little of both I guess. I love him, but you know how much I love to win."

"Yeah I remember many races where I would end up in the mud because I was ahead and a certain someone just couldn't take it." The two laughed together for a bit.

"But I'd say you won too," Brooke said, seriously. "Jake's great."

"Yeah I know." Peyton looked to Jake as he bounced Jenny up and down in his arms. He caught her eye and walked to her. With Jenny balancing in one arm he took Peyton's hand at the same time Lucas took Brooke's.

"We both got pretty lucky," Brooke agreed. The two girls squeezed each other's hands a little before releasing and going to dance with their respective guys.

Across the room, Nathan and Haley twirled together to the music. "The ceremony was beautiful," Haley said with a sigh. Nathan nodded.

"Remind me to thank Brooke later," Nathan told her.

"For what?"

"Because you look so hot in that bridesmaid's dress."

"Do I?" Haley teased with a smile. Nathan simply nodded before bending down and kissing her neck. "Mmm." Haley smiled. Nathan pulled her closer as she buried her face in his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." Haley looked up at Nathan, her eyes meeting his. She kissed him once and then pulled back.

"I'm going to go congratulate Peyton and Jake, but when I come back let's go somewhere. I've got something to tell you. Don't go anywhere." Haley kissed him again and then flitted off to talk to the newlyweds. Nathan watched his wife for a bit, a smile on his face. He wondered what it was that she had to tell him that they would need to go somewhere else. Just as he was about to go over and join Haley, he felt a hand on his arm. He whirled around to see who it was.

Lucas's hands rested gently on Brooke's waist as the two swayed to the music. She smiled her dimpled smile up at him and he smiled back. "What are you thinking about Pretty Girl?"

"Just how happy Peyton is." Brooke watched her friend laugh with Jake and then unconsciously twisted the small ring on her finger around a bit. Unfortunately, Lucas noted her actions.

"You wishing you were that happy?" Lucas looked concerned. "Because I told you that if and when you were ready we could get engaged."

"God no!" Brooke said. Lucas looked a bit hurt. "No that's not what I meant. What I really meant was that I don't want to get married right now. I mean marriage seems so…permanent." The two slowed a bit.

"That's kind of the point," Lucas said a bit annoyed. "Two people love each other and they decide that they want to spend the rest of their lives together."

"But how do they know? We're seniors in high school. Our lives have barely begun. How are we supposed to predict what kind of person we're going to be for the rest of our lives and if the person we become is going to be compatible with our spouse?"

"I can tell you right now that I will always be compatible with you. All I need for the rest of my life is just to see those two dimples or that kink of your eyebrow when you're trying to be cute."

"Lucas you don't know that. You're just feeling left out. I mean it seems that our entire group of friends are now teen married couples."

"I do know that Brooke. You're all I need now and always." Brooke pulled back from Lucas, putting her hand to her head.

"Lucas don't talk like that…"

"Talk like what!" Lucas's voice began to raise enough that people near the couple turned to look. "Tell you how I feel? I thought you felt the same! But I guess I was wrong. I'm the guy for you Brooke Davis and one of these days you're going to see that. And you just better hope that I haven't moved on." With one last look, Lucas exited the church. Brooke stared after him, tears in her eyes. A body pressed itself into her on both sides, Brooke looked up to see her two best friends beside her.

"Sorry to ruin your wedding P. Sawyer."

"It's not your fault." Peyton put her head on Brooke's shoulder. "And it's not ruined come dance with us."

Brooke shook her head. "I think I'm going to head out. Enjoy your day P. Sawyer. Or is it P. Jegalski now?" With a forced grin Brooke made her exit.

"What are we going to do with those two?" Peyton asked as she watched her best friend leave.

"They'll be ok. I'm just glad I finally get to pass the new married couple torch on to you." Peyton smiled. "Congratulations again Peyton."

"Thanks." The two girls hugged and then Peyton rejoined Jake and Jenny. Haley spun around to look for her husband, but the smile faded when she saw that he was no where in sight.

Nathan released the girl's arm. "Why did you drag me out here?" Jenna asked with a sneer.

"Because I don't want Haley to know you're here. It'll ruin everything that we've worked on these past couple of months."

"Just couldn't get over me could you?" Jenna smiled and Nathan couldn't help but notice the difference between her and Haley. Their smiles were the same and yet, so different. Whereas Haley's was full of innocence and love Jenna's was filled with malice and scheming.

"Just get out of here Jenna. Haley doesn't want you here and neither do I. You left once, why couldn't you just stay away?"

"Ah I didn't leave to appease Haley. Sorry. I left because I had some things to sort out. Boys' hearts to break. But as it turns out, I now have some new things to deal with." She smiled a smile that Nathan had grown to hate. Something was making her happy and that meant that it was nothing good.

"Jenna I don't care. Go do whatever bitchy thing you have in mind to someone else. As far as I'm concerned you don't exist. Haley's cut you out of her life and I'm doing the same. Goodbye." Nathan turned to walk back into the church and rejoin his wife.

"That's too bad. I guess your kid's never going to get to know his dad." Nathan stopped mid stride. Surely he had misunderstood. He whirled around to face her.

"Excuse me?"

"Before I say anything I want you to know that you're the only guy I've slept with in a couple of months and we can get a DNA test if you want to…"

"Jenna what are you saying?" Nathan said, scared of her answer.

"I'm pregnant Nathan."

Brooke inhaled deeply. She hated to be the one to come crawling back. It just wasn't her. She was supposed to be the one that guys crawled over broken glass to get to. She was the one that was supposed to walk out and then sit at home, waiting for an apology. But Lucas Scott did something to her and she wasn't sure if she liked it. He made her want to be a better person. He was the only guy that she was ever willing to fight for. He was the only guy who could come between her and her best friend. And he was the guy she was in love with. So as she sucked in her breath she raised her fist and knocked once on the door. It was flung open almost instantly. Lucas stood behind the door, looking a bit disheveled and confused.

"What are you doing here?" Her tongue suddenly felt too big for her mouth and she had to swallow a couple of times before she could speak.

"I know that as long as I live you'll be the one I need. I won't grow out of you. But Luke you're this amazing person with a poet's soul and you're going places. You're life's going to change. And when it does, you're going to realize that I'm not all that exciting. And that I'm holding you down. And then we're going to end up just like my parents, staying together for the kid's sake but sleeping in separate rooms and hating each other every free moment we get."

"Brooke." Lucas took Brooke's face in his hands as the tears poured from her eyes. He kissed her forehead. "I could never hate you. You're far too exciting for your life not to change too. And if anything, I'm going to be the one holding you back."

"No. It's going to be me. I mean it kind of already is," Brooke began to ramble.

"What are you talking about Brooke?" Brooke looked up at her boyfriend, her eyes sparkling with tears, hoping that he didn't hate her for the words she was about to say.

"I'm pregnant."


	16. Breaking the News

"The most successful people are those who are good at plan B." James Yorke

"I don't believe you," Nathan spat the words.

"Then I guess it's a good thing I brought this." From within her pocket, Jenna pulled out a piece of paper. Nathan took it roughly and then just stared. It confirmed that Jenna was indeed pregnant. This simple piece of paper made Nathan's life come crumbling down around him.

"It's not mine." Nathan was not going to give up easily. Jenna rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes it is. I'll admit, I've been slutty in my past years, but for the past three months I've been like a monk. Well except for the one time." An awful glint appeared in Jenna's eyes. Nathan looked at her for a bit, for once she seemed to be telling the truth.

"Ok, I want to be there. But not for you, for my kid." Jenna laughed.

"So what are you going to tell my darling sister?" Nathan grumbled in response, he had been asking himself that same question.

"Are you sure?" Lucas was stunned.

"Well I took a home test and it was positive, but you know how wrong those could be. I mean this is not the first time…" Lucas placed a hand on both sides of Brooke's face.

"We'll go to the doctor together."

"Really?" her voice came out weaker than she had wanted it to.

"I'm here for you Brooke. And I'm here for this baby. Our baby." And then Lucas wrapped his arms around his teary eyes girlfriend. And though she was a pregnant unwed teen, for a moment Brooke was glad she was having this baby. After all it was Lucas's and anything involving him couldn't be all bad.

"Are you staying in town?" Nathan asked Jenna.

"Well right outside of town. There's a little hotel."

"Here," Nathan fumbled in his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. "Put the number in there. I'll call you later so we can talk about…" he motioned to her stomach. "this." With an oddly eager smile, Jenna put her number in the phone and then calmly handed it back to him.

"Bye stud." With a peck on the cheek she was gone. Nathan took a moment to compose himself and then went back into the church.

"There you are!" Haley moved to his side almost as soon as he walked through the door. "I've been looking all over, where'd you go?"

"I needed some air." Nathan tried to keep his voice level.

"You ok?" Haley took his hand. "You look a little distant."

"I'm fine. Hey let's go ok?"

"Ok."

Nathan hadn't said a word to Haley since they had gotten in the car and she was worried. It had been so quiet in fact that the slam of the car door behind her made her jump a bit. Nathan reached for her hand as they walked to the apartment, but Haley could tell that this was an instinct. Nathan was somewhere else.

With a sigh Haley gave up. Her husband hadn't spoken to her in over two hours. She had been trying to wait and let him be the one to give up, but she caved. "Ok zombie husband, what have you done to Nathan?" Haley asked as she sat down next to Nathan on the couch.

"What?" Nathan seemed to be pulled out of a trance.

"What's up? And don't give me that 'I'm fine' crap because we both know that's not true. You haven't spoken since you disappeared at the reception. What happened?"

Nathan sighed, relenting. "I saw Jenna." A sharp intake of breath from Haley.

"And what did my darling sister have to say?" The venom sounded in her voice but Nathan chuckled to himself. The two of them really did sound alike sometimes.

"She had some news." Haley raised an eyebrow.

"Satan wants his soul back?" she guessed.

"No Haley, this is actually kind of serious."

"Ok, no more interruptions." Haley mimicked sealing her lips and throwing away the key.

"You remember when we kind of hit rock bottom last year?" A nod. "And I had…slept with your sister." No response to this. "Well it turns out that….Jenna…well Jenna's pregnant."

"It's not yours," Haley said immediately.

"Trust me Hales, if you had been there. If you had seen the look in her eyes when she told me, then you would believe her. It's mine." But the word it sounded offensive to Nathan so he corrected himself. "I mean the baby, he or she is mine." Haley ran her fingers through her hair.

"Oh my gosh," she muttered under her breath. She bit her lip in frustration.

"I know, and I'm really sorry about this. I know we were just getting back to where we were." Nathan took Haley in his arms. "But I'm not going to be like my father. I'm not going to abandon this baby." A soft chuckle escaped Haley's lips.

"You're more like your father than you think."

"What?" Haley looked up at her husband.

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.

"Haley. That's great." He bent his head to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Is it Nathan? I mean Jenna's not exactly the responsible type, and a baby's not going to change that. How are you going to raise two kids? One by yourself pretty much."

"I can do it Hales. The important thing is we're having a baby!" Despite her qualms, Haley smiled.

"Yeah, we are."

"I love you," Nathan whispered as he touched Haley's stomach.

"I love you too," Brooke whispered to Lucas as she clung to his hand. Shortly after, the doctor came back into the room.

"Well this confirms it, you are indeed pregnant." Brooke smiled at Lucas who kissed her forehead.

Two months had passed since the Scott brothers had figured out that they were going to be fathers. In an attempt to be there for his child Nathan, despite his better judgment, asked Jenna to move back into the apartment with Haley and him. It was very uncomfortable living with twins who hated each other, both of them carrying his child. One who he loved with every breath he had, and the other whom he despised but was pleasant to for his child's sake. He kept reminding himself that he only had to put up with her for nine months and then she would be out of his apartment. The other Scott brother faired better. Lucas and Brooke couldn't be happier. Though their parents had not taken the news well at first, Karen was at least being supportive now. Brooke's parents, in traditional Davis fashion, had left town at the first sign of trouble. They were now somewhere in Paris sending only the occasional email to their one and only pregnant daughter.

Lucas and Brooke were sitting in Brooke's living room looking over a book of names. "How about Lorelai if it's a girl and Damien if it's a boy," Brooke suggested.

"First of all I'm not naming my son after Satan's child and secondly I'm not naming my daughter after a woman who had a kid at sixteen. It might give her ideas."

"What if I said we were naming her after the daughter?"

"I'd still say no."

"Mean!" Brooke crossed her arms and pouted a bit.

"What about Penelope if it's a girl?" Brooke snorted.

"There's no way I'm cursing another generation with that name."

"I think Penelope's a beautiful name. And if she looks anything like her mother she'll be beautiful."

"You think so?" Brooke asked in a low voice as she leaned towards him.

"Uh huh." He closed the gap between them and they engaged in a heated make-out session for a bit until Brooke pulled back, her hands clasped over her stomach. "What's wrong?" Lucas asked, his face plastered with concern. Brooke merely winced in response. "Come on let's get in the car. I'm taking you to the hospital." With ease, Lucas lifted Brooke off the couch bridal style and carried her to the car. The whole ride to the hospital was silent with intermittent gasps of pain from Brooke. Lucas held her hand, rubbing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

They pulled up in front of the hospital and almost immediately Lucas was opening the door for Brooke and helping her out. She stood, but immediately bent over a bit due to the pain, clutching her stomach. Lucas led a hobbling Brooke through the emergency room doors. "I need help." A small nurse walked up to him.

"Fill these out." She shoved some forms at him.

"You don't understand!" Another gasp of pain from Brooke. Lucas glanced at her for a second before turning back to the nurse. "She's in pain."

"Look around, everyone here's in pain. Now why don't you and your pretty little girlfriend go sit down in the corner and fill out these forms."

A small voice prevented Lucas from responding. "Lucas it hurts." These were the first words Brooke had spoken since the pain began. Lucas turned to her, taking her face in his hands.

"I know Pretty Girl. But it's going to get better I promise." He scooped her up, threw one last dirty look in the nurse's direction and then pushed his way into the hospital.

"You can't go back there!" the nurse called as she followed him through the doors. Lucas was about to turn around and give her a very colorful response but was cut off by a doctor.

"Excuse me young man, what's the problem here?" The doctor blocked Lucas's path.

"My pregnant girlfriend is in pain and this nurse won't do a thing about it except tell me to fill out these forms."

"How far along is she?" The doctor asked.

"About three months." Brooke whimpered a bit in pain. The doctor took one look at the pitiful pregnant teen and her dedicated boyfriend and took matters into his own hands.

"You can fill those forms out later. Let's get her checked out." Lucas followed the doctor, leaving the disgruntled nurse behind.

Lucas tucked a stray hair behind Brooke's ear. She smiled up at him. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"How's the baby?" Brooke asked.

"I don't know the doctor told me he'd be back in to talk to both of us." At just that moment the door opened to reveal Brooke's savior.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Brooke.

"How's my baby?" she demanded. The doctor's face twisted up a bit.

"I'm sorry to tell you, but you lost the baby." Without a word, Brooke turned to Lucas and he wrapped his arms around her allowing her to soak his shirt with her tears. In an attempt to be strong for her, Lucas choked back his own.

**So I'm having a bit of a writer's block on this story (though I do have an idea where I want it to go, but it's a bit dark) and am going to start a new one. It's going to be centered around Brooke and I'm using the end of this chapter as the beginning of the story. As always, reviews are appreciated!**


	17. Awkward

"You can't stop loving or wanting to love because when its right, it's the best thing in the world. When you're in a relationship and it's good, even if nothing else in your life is right, you feel like your whole world is complete." Keith Sweat

"Did you get the red kind of Twizzlers?" Jenna asked a haggard looking Nathan as he arrived back to the apartment, grocery bags in hand.

"Yes and I got Haley the entire stock of mac and cheese."

"I knew she was the favorite," Jenna joked. Nathan sighed deeply. The past few months had been hell, not only because the sisters didn't get along but because of all of the crazy cravings the two had. And Nathan couldn't even rely on his brother for help. Lucas was dealing with a morose girlfriend who Nathan wasn't sure was every going to get over losing the baby.

"Look Jenna…" Nathan revved up for another of his speeches. Jenna held up a hand.

"Normally I'd love to hear about what a bitch I am and how the only reason you're being nice to me is because of this," Jenna indicated her stomach. "But right now I'm in labor." Nathan's jaw dropped at the same time that the grocery bags did.

"Ok, I'll get Haley! You grab your bag!"

"She's sleeping!" Jenna called to Nathan as he walked into the bedroom.

"Haley sweetie." Nathan kissed his pregnant wife's forehead.

"Hey, did you get my mac and cheese?" Nathan laughed a little.

"Yeah. But you got to get up right now."

"Why?" Haley grabbed a pillow and rolled over.

"Well, I've got to take Jenna to the hospital to have the baby and I can't get someone to come over here to stay with you and there's no way that…"

"Oh my gosh!" Haley sat up as fast as her belly would allow. "I get it. I've got to go to the hospital." Nathan gently eased her off the bed. They went out to the living room where Jenna was waiting, bag in hand. Haley sent her a death glare, Jenna merely smiled back.

"Please don't start," Nathan begged as he kissed Haley's cheek. "Ok let's go."

People turned to stare as the young man helped a pregnant woman out of his back seat and then moved around to the front to help and her equally pregnant clone, who was breathing heavily, out of the front seat. Guiding one on each arm, Nathan helped the twins into the hospital. The nurse took one look at the pregnant girl who was clearly having contractions and paged an attending. Nathan guided Haley to a seat and then took Jenna to get her checked in. Moments later a scared looking man in scrubs arrived, pushing a wheelchair. He moved it to Haley. Haley's hormones kicked in. "You better get that thing away from me, Sparky. I'm not in labor!"

"I think you're looking for me," Jenna called as she clutched her stomach. "I hate this kid already," she mumbled to herself.

"Great mother you're going to make," Haley told her.

"Well maybe you can take care of my kid sometimes. At least yours and mine will have joint birthdays."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just couldn't let me have my day could you?" Jenna asked as she pointed. Haley looked down and realized that her water just broke.

"Shit! Sparky!"

"No. It's mine." Jenna began to waddle towards the chair and the scared man wheeled a bit in her direction.

"Sparky don't you do it!" The man stood, halfway between the two sisters, unsure of who he should go to.

"Relax, we'll get another chair." Nathan put his hand on Haley's shoulder and then went to the nurse to see if she could call for another chair.

Moments later the two girls were in wheelchairs both being wheeled to the maternity ward. "Ah it will be nice to cling to Nathan's hands as I give birth to our baby," Jenna taunted Haley under her breath.

"If you think he's going to be in the delivery room with you, you're sadly mistaken. He's going to be with me. His wife."

"We'll see." The sisters shared one last death glare before they were wheeled into separate rooms.

"Can't you give me some more drugs?!" Jenna asked for the hundredth time.

"I'm sorry miss, but we're too far along to give you any more. We need you to push. Maybe your husband could hold your hand." Nathan had been hovering beside the bed.

"Oh I'm not…we're not." The doctor shook his head.

"It's not my job to judge. It's my job to get this baby out safely. Don't you want that?" The doctor gave Nathan a pointed look. With a sigh, Nathan took Jenna's hand. She gave a smile. "Ok push!" With a groan, Jenna pushed again.

"I can't believe people do this voluntarily," she muttered. But then she couldn't speak anymore as waves of pain rushed over her. She squeezed Nathan's hand so hard that he couldn't feel it. But soon the baby was out.

"Congratulations, it's a girl." The baby was cleaned and then handed to Jenna. For a second, Nathan thought he saw a genuine smile on Jenna's face, but it quickly faded away.

"You know the one good thing about that whole giving birth thing?" Jenna asked, still looking at the baby. Nathan mumbled what Jenna took as permission to go on. "Holding your hand." Jenna looked up at Nathan.

"Jenna. I'm here for her," Nathan indicated the baby. "Not you. I'm sorry." The silence that followed was interrupted when the door flung open to reveal a nurse. The nurse did a double take when she saw Jenna on the bed.

"Sorry Dr. Norris, but if you're done in here the young lady next door is in labor."

"Patient's name?" the doctor asked as he followed the nurse out.

"Haley Scott."

The doctor was out the door, but before it could close, Nathan grabbed it. "Something wrong?" the doctor asked.

"That's my wife." With a judgmental shake of his head the doctor led Nathan to Haley.

As soon as the doctor saw Haley his jaw dropped a bit. He looked to the nurse who nodded with a look on her face that clearly said she knew how screwed up this was. The doctor recovered quickly and went right to his job. "Ok let's get this baby out."

Nathan took Haley's hand, without prodding from the doctor this time. "Hey sweetheart." Nathan kissed Haley's forehead which was glistening with sweat.

"I hate you for doing this to me," Haley whimpered as she shook with another contraction. Nathan smiled.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you want." Nathan was surprised at how strong his wife was. Suddenly he wished he'd given her the hand that Jenna had not already demolished. But they got through it together and soon a small baby was placed in Haley's arms.

"Congratulations, it's a boy," the doctor said.

Haley smiled down at the child. "How are you James Lucas?" she cooed. He gave a big yawn. "He's beautiful." She looked up to Nathan, tears in her eyes.

"Just like his mother." He kissed Haley once and then bent down and kissed his son.

The past few days had been hectic for the three new parents. It seemed that the whole town had come to visit the babies. Whether they actually cared about the parents or they just wanted to see the gossip firsthand, there was a constant flow of guests in and out. Peyton and Jake had brought Jenny down the first day. Jenny loved the new babies, always tickling them. Lucas had also come the first day to see his new niece and nephew. He apologized that Brooke couldn't be there, but everyone understood. Haley cried when Lucas held James saying that he would make a great dad someday. Nathan ran back and forth between the two babies. Though he spent more time with Haley, he couldn't help but rush over and care for his daughter who Jenna refused to name. Despite his hatred of the mother, he loved that little girl as much as he loved James.

All of the excitement, not to mention the new babies, were enough to make everyone exhausted. That was why in the middle of the afternoon, Haley was passed out on the hospital bed, Nathan resting in the chair beside her. Jenna had just signed her discharge papers.

"Well isn't that adorable?" She scoffed. Haley had monopolized Nathan's attention and Jenna hated her for that. Jenna walked to the nursery, ready to pick up little no name Scott. She still couldn't pick out the perfect name. Jenna was stopped by a nurse.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm here to pick up my baby." Jenna looked into the nursery. Her daughter was right next to James. Jenna winced. She hadn't seen…her nephew (she cringed at the thought) yet. He looked so peaceful sleeping there, not like a baby who was ruining Jenna's life.

"Which one is yours?" And idea came to Jenna.

"James Scott." The nurse smiled and moved to the baby. She picked him up and then handed him to Jenna.

"He's a beauty that one, a lot like his sister. Are you taking her too or is your husband coming back for her?"

"Oh no, they're not siblings."

"Oh." The woman's face screwed up in confusion but she had seen enough craziness between families to not question it. With a smile, Jenna was gone. A bubbling in Jenna's stomach told her that she had finally lost all control. If Jenna was screwed up before, the pregnancy had made her inhuman. And then seeing how happy her sister was just made her sick.

Somehow Jenna's feet had carried her to a deserted hallway. Jenna looked around. The only sounds that could be heard were the nurses at the station at the end of the hall. Near her was a maid's bin. A stack of neatly folded towels sat atop the cart. A wicked grin spread across Jenna's face as she reached out a hand to the stack. The towels were soft and thick. James chose that moment to begin to cry. With a depraved look across her face Jenna pulled the towel off the stack and towards her.

At the station, the nurse heard the child cry. Working in the maternity ward had tuned her into the cries of babies and this was a distressed cry. The nurse looked around for the source of the noise. The only person around was a woman with her back to the nurse. The nurse set down the charts she had in her arms and walked down the hall. "Miss can I help you?" Yes this was where the child's cries were coming from, the nurse could hear them more clearly now. But the woman did not turn. "Is….is your baby okay?" Another loud wail and then silence. Something was wrong. "Miss?" Something white dropped to the ground. It was a towel. The nurse began to get a bit jittery, what was wrong with this woman? "Miss?" Slowly, the woman turned around to face the nurse.

"He's not my baby," she said. The look on the woman's face scared the nurse even more. She looked down to the baby in the woman's arm. He was oddly still.

"What did you do?" Despite her better judgment, the nurse approached the woman and took the baby from her. The nurse listened for a heartbeat, prayed for the baby to inhale, but nothing happened. It was clear that this baby was dead and the nurse was looking at the woman that killed him.


	18. Epilogue

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." Maria Robinson

Haley awoke to the sounds of people yelling outside. She looked to her side and saw that the noises had awoken Nathan too, his chair was empty. She slid her feet into the slippers by her bed and shuffled outside. Everyone seemed to be crowded around one hallway.

"Why would you do this?" Haley's ears perked up as she heard her husband's voice. It was partially sad and partially angry. Who was he talking to? And then she saw the cops enter the scene. They parted the crowd and walked down the hall, out of Haley's line of vision.

She shuffled a bit closer. "Why?" This voice was shrill, almost demonic. "Because I love you Nathan." Haley recognized it as her sister.

"You love me?" Nathan's voice was heavy with disbelief. Haley was at the back of the crowd now.

"I thought if he was gone that you'd leave her for me. The mother of your child." The crowd parted again as the police moved through, this time leading Jenna in handcuffs. Jenna made eye contact with Haley for a brief moment. She paused, her mouth half open as if she was going to tell her something but then the officer tugged her arm and she was led out of the hospital.

Haley took the opportunity the police had created to push her way through the crowd. "Nathan?" Haley asked, searching for her husband. She caught sight of him, his face was contorted in angst.

He rushed to her. "Haley sweetheart, don't look." Arms circled around her and pulled her face into his chest. But Haley peeked underneath his arm and she saw it. She saw the small bundle laid on the table at the edge of the hall. It seemed harmless enough, a bundle of sheets. But then Haley looked around, crime scene tape, police, and her sister's words 'if he was gone'. It clicked in Haley's head.

"No!!" she screamed. Heads turned but Haley didn't care. She twisted out of Nathan's grasp and ran to the bundle, hardly able to see through the tears. Police tried to stop her, but she dodged them. She had reached the bundle. Hoping she was wrong, Haley pulled the sheet away from the form underneath. The tears ran down her face. It was her son. "No," she choked. She collected the boy in her arms, pulling him into her chest. Her face twisted up in wretchedness as she sank to the ground, still clutching James to her chest. Nathan had reached her by now, he dismissed the police officers who had swarmed around Haley with a simple identification of 'my wife'. He avoided looking down at the small bundle in her arms, knowing that if he saw him he would lose it. Haley needed him right now, he had to stay together. "Why?" Haley asked. And as she looked up to Nathan, her eyes filled with tears, his heart broke.

"I don't know." Nathan put his arm around Haley. "I don't know." He gently touched his son's tiny lifeless form and then pulled his wife to him as the two collapsed into waves of hysterics.

"Haley sweetheart, are you ready?" Nathan asked his wife gently. She opened her eyes reluctantly, but didn't say a word. The bed moved a bit as Nathan plopped down next to her. She nodded, wiping her tears from her eyes. He stroked her hair. "I love you, you know that right?" Another nod.

"I love you too," she whispered. Nathan took her head and led her to the car.

The tiny coffin was lowered into the ground. Haley felt like she wanted to jump in with her son. As if he sensed what she was thinking, Nathan put a comforting arm around Haley. "Bye baby," Haley murmured as she threw a red rose onto the lid of the coffin. As everyone else filed by her to throw their roses in, Haley stared at the spot of dug up earth. It was a while before Haley noticed that she and Nathan were the only two left, but her feet would not move. She knew that there was a whole town waiting for her at the café, waiting to tell her how sorry they were, but still her feet remained rooted to the ground.

"Haley," a soft voice called. Haley looked up. It was Brooke. Immediately, Haley knew that she must be really bad. One, because Brooke had barely spoken to anyone since she had lost the baby. And secondly because Brooke never called Haley by her name it was always Tutorgirl. Nathan's arm tightened around Haley's shoulders. "Hey Nate do you think that you could give us a minute." Nathan looked to his wife. Haley gave a short nod. Nathan lifted her face and kissed her once before he walked off to Lucas. The two girls stood by the grave for a bit, staring down into the abyss where Haley's only child had just been lowered. The breeze kicked up a bit, blowing onto the bare skin of Haley's arms. She wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm. Brooke stepped a bit closer and put an arm around Haley. "It was a nice service," Brooke said. Haley just nodded. "Everyone was here." Another nod. Brooke exhaled. "Look Tutorgirl," the nickname comforted Haley slightly. Like at least something had not changed. "I understand the whole mourning mother who doesn't want to talk to anyone. God knows I understand that. But things are different with you. He was taken from you by someone you love. But you've got a husband. Nathan needs you right now Tutorgirl. Don't shut him out like I shut out Lucas." Brooke stopped. Silence followed. "Well are you going to say anything?"

Haley looked up at the brunette, the tears welling up. "I miss him," she whispered.

"Oh sweetheart." Brooke pulled Haley to her and let her cry. "I know babe. I know." Suddenly the tears sprang to Brooke's eyes as well. The two girls wrapped their arms around one another, sobbing. Both crying not only for the loss of their own child but for each other.

After a bit, Haley pulled back. The two wiped their eyes. "Why did she do it Brooke?" Brooke looked into the small girl's eyes. Eyes that pleaded with Brooke.

"I can't answer that. Only one person can." And at that moment, Haley made a decision. She knew what she had to do.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nathan asked his wife again. Haley nodded.

"I have to."

"I'll be right here if you need me." He squeezed her hand a bit before releasing it and allowing her to walk to the visiting area. Silently, she sat down in the seat and picked up the phone. A grim look on her face, Jenna picked up the phone on the other side of the glass. "I've just got one question, why?" Haley choked.

Jenna rolled her eyes and sighed. "My whole life I've been looked down upon. People have asked me, 'why can't you be more like your sister.' Everyone always loved you best. I guess I just couldn't stand that one more person loved you more than me."

"So you killed my son?" Haley asked disbelieving. Jenna didn't say a word. "You tried to steal my husband, hell you almost did. And I kicked you out of my life. Told myself that I would never forgive you. But as the time went by I realized that you're my sister. I had no choice but to forgive you. And no matter what I said I loved you Jenna. I thought that we could get past the whole, us having the same man's baby and I was almost excited to have a sister to share this whole experience with." Haley blinked quickly a few times. "But now I hope I _never _see you again. You disgust me."

"Haley I…"

"Save it. From now on, you're dead to me." Before Jenna could respond, Haley spit on the glass, slammed the phone down and walked away from her sister, forever. "Come on, let's go home." Nathan put his arm around his wife and kissed her on the top of her head. She leaned into him and the two were headed out of the police station when they were stopped by a small balding man.

"Excuse me, are you Nathan Scott?" Nathan nodded. "I'm Miss James's lawyer." Haley scoffed. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss, but I got a call today from the hospital regarding your daughter." Nathan's breath caught. He was so consumed over the loss of his son that he almost forgot he had another child. One that was still living.

"W…what about?" he asked.

"Well since Miss James is clearly in no state to take care of a baby, they were curious if you still wanted custody of the child. Or if they should contact child services. Just give them a call when you get a chance." The man looked once to Haley then gave a small smile and left.

"We're going to stop at the hospital aren't we?" Haley surmised from Nathan's expression. Without a word, Haley led him to the car and drove him to the hospital.

The couple stood by the nursery, looking in at little no name Scott. Nathan's arm was draped over Haley's shoulders. "She's beautiful," Haley whispered. Nathan nodded. Then an idea struck him.

"Haley, you know what a great mother you'll make right?" A confused Haley gave a nod. "Well what if we raise this baby as ours. We can move far away from here, no one has to know the truth. I mean you and Jenna even have the same DNA." Haley put her hand on Nathan's arm, to stop him.

"Nathan we lost a baby. We can't just replace him."

"I know, I know." Nathan pulled away from Haley a little bit and moved to the window of the nursery. "But we can move on. And somehow I think it would be easier for her if she doesn't know that her father slept with her mom even though he was married to her aunt. And then her crazy mother killed her half brother and is now rotting in jail." Sounds of the hospital were the only ones heard for a moment. Nathan stood, staring at his daughter. She looked so innocent and all Nathan wanted to do was protect her. From hurt. From her own mother. From everything. But he couldn't do that. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his back and someone leaning into him.

"She needs to know," Haley whispered. Nathan nodded, blinking back the tears.

"I know."

"So are we going to take her home now or when?" Nathan looked to his wife to see if she was joking. "She needs a stable female role model in her life. And she is pretty cute." Nathan hugged his wife.

"I love you."

"Were you worried I would leave you just because you care about your daughter?" The couple spoke to the nurse and soon the baby was placed in Nathan's arm. "Hey," Haley cooed as she stroked the baby's arm. "Well this little girl needs a name."

"What do you think?"

"I think that if she's got Jenna's genes she needs to named after some strong female role models."

"How about Haley," Nathan suggested.

"I'm going to be selfish and say no, I want to keep that name to myself. What about Brooklyn. Brooklyn Elizabeth." The baby squealed.

"I think she likes it. Don't you Brooklyn?"

"Brooke's going to go through the roof with this ego boost." The two laughed a bit and then Nathan put his arm around Haley, taking his two girls home.

**I'm going to write an epilogue to this story, but in the meantime please read my new story. It's an expansion on Brooke from this story, after she loses the baby. Thanks for reading.**


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